Anetoderma due to secondary syphilis: Report of two cases and discussion of the histopathological findings.

Anetoderma is a rare benign condition of diverse etiology whose characteristic is the diminution or absence of the dermal elastic fibers. Classified as primary and secondary, the latter associated with tumors, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. Although the etiology of the lesions is well described in literature, the pathogenesis is still poorly determined. Anetoderma in syphilis is rare, and occurs even in the most uncommon cutaneous manifestations of the disease, such as the nodular form. In order to better understand the changes that lead to elastolysis, we propose a better correlation with the histopathological findings of the lesions that precede it. We present two cases of anetoderma secondary to syphilis, whose clinical aspects resembled the pattern of their initial secondary syphilis rash.

[Anetoderma with positive Borrelia serology]. / Anetodermie bei positiver Borrelienserologie.

Anetoderma is an uncommon disease characterized by multiple circumscribed atrophic, herniated skin lesions on trunk, thighs and upper arms caused by loss of elastic fibers. Associations with autoimmune diseases or infections, especially spirochetal infections, have been described. We report a case of anetoderma with an increased serum Borrelia burgdorferi IgM-titers. After treatment with doxycycline 200 mg/day for three weeks, the progression of the disease stopped and no new lesions appeared.

A case of xanthoma disseminatum with spontaneous resolution over 10 years: review of the literature on long-term follow-up.

Xanthoma disseminatum (XD) is a rare and potentially progressive non-Langerhans-cell histiocytosis. To date, a few cases of XD with spontaneous complete resolution have been described. The present report describes a 16-year-old girl who presented with yellow to red-brown papules and nodules on her eyelids, cheeks, axillae, back and buttocks. Indirect laryngoscopy showed multiple xanthomatous plaques on the larynx, posterior pharynx, epiglottis, and vocal cords. Additional findings were polyuria, polydipsia, and amenorrhea. Skin biopsy and electron microscopy results confirmed the diagnosis of XD. The patient was treated with fenofibrate, simvastatin, desmopressin, and sex-hormone replacement therapy. Her skin lesions began to slowly fade 6 years after disease onset, eventually resolving spontaneously and completely, but leaving an atrophic scar, frank anetoderma, and persisting diabetes insipidus. This case report together with a review of the English-language literature on the long-term follow-up of XD patients provides additional information on the natural history of this disease.