benign skin disease

Question 1

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Answer 1

• Chronic itchy clusters of blisters.
• Linked to underlying gluten enteropathy (coeliac disease).

Question 2

Dermatofibroma

Answer 2

• Benign lesion.
• Firm elevated nodules.
• Usually history of trauma.
• Lesion consists of histiocytes, blood vessels and fibrotic changes.

Question 3

Pyogenic granuloma

Answer 3

• Overgrowth of blood vessels.
• Red nodules.
• Usually follow trauma.
• May mimic amelanotic melanoma.

Question 4

Acanthosis nigricans

Answer 4

• Brown to black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin.
• Usually found in body folds such as the posterior and lateral folds of the neck, the axilla, groin, umbilicus, forehead, and other areas.
• The most common cause of acanthosis nigricans is insulin resistance, which leads to increased circulating insulin levels. Insulin spillover into the skin results in its abnormal increase in growth (hyperplasia of the skin).
• In the context of a malignant disease, acanthosis nigricans is a paraneoplastic syndrome and is then commonly referred to as acanthosis nigricans maligna. Involvement of mucous membranes is rare and suggests a coexisting malignant condition.