[Cystinosis (author's transl)].

Abstract

Cystinosis (syn. crystine storage disease) is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The severety of clinical symptoms may vary considerably. The most severe form of nephropathic cystinosis causes death of the affected patients at the age of 2 to 4 years (subacute course) or before puberty (primary chronical course). Three autopsy cases are demonstrated. Each of these children died from complications of chronic renal failure, caused by kidney contraction as a sequela of chronic interstitial nephritis. Cristalline cystine deposits were found in the renal interstium as well as in the RES cells of spleen and liver. Because of water solubility of L-cystine aqueous fixation and staining solutions must be avoided. Diagnostic doubly refractive brick- or needle-shaped cystine cristals can be demonstrated in frozen sections or tissue smears from spleen, liver, lymphnode and bone marrow.