ABSTRACT
Dermal melanocytosis is observed in various congenital conditions including nevus of Ota, nevus of Ito and Mongolian spot. It usually appears at birth or in early childhood. Several types of acquired dermal melanocytosis which usually appear in adult life have been reported. As the late onset has been stressed, the term acquired is used. We report two cases of acquired dermal melanocytosis on the forearm and the back without any similar pigmentation elsewhere on the body. The first case is a 47-year-old man who had numerous grey-blue colored macules and patches on the upper back. Histopathologic findings showed a large number of spindle-shaped cells containing melanin granules in the dermis. On electron microscopy, dermal melanocytes with stage 3, 4 melanosomes and lipid droplet were observed. The second one is a 13-year-old girl who had a 3.8 X 2.5 cm sized dark grey colored patch on the left forearm. Histopathologic and EM finding were similar to case 1. We treated both cases with topical cream(retinoid and hydroquinone), but could not observe improvement. Their lesions have persisted without any change.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Dermis , Forearm , Melanins , Melanocytes , Melanosomes , Microscopy, Electron , Mongolian Spot , Nevus , Nevus of Ota , Parturition , PigmentationABSTRACT
We present a case of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) asseci ted with vitiligo in a 57 year-old male patient. Physical examination revealed two distinct skin lesions those of itiligo showed as centrally located depigmented patches surrounded by erythernatous patch on the right cheek, scalp and left dorsurn of hand and those of SLE showed as erythematous papules and patchs with partial adherent scales on the face, scalp, neck, both extensor surface of arm, and left dorsun of hand. Their coexistence lends credence to the contention that altered autoimrnunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of each of these diseases. In Western countries and Japen, patients with lupus erythema osis have been observed to develop vitiligo or depigmented spots on the skin, while in Korea, its has not been previously observed.