Cryoglobulinemia is caused by an abnormal protein that is
occasionally found in the blood of people with multiple myeloma,
leukemia, and certain forms of pneumonia. It causes blood to gel at
low temperatures. In this picture, cryoglobulinemia has reduced
blood flow in the fingers so much the fingers have turned dark; the
black areas are gangrene resulting from lack of blood flow.
Review Date: 02/10/2011
Reviewed By: Michael E. Makover, MD, professor and attending in Rheumatology at
the New York University Medical Center, New York, NY. Review
provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David
Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
