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| | CASE REPORT | | | | | Year : 1995 | Volume : 61 | Issue : 3 | Page : 165 | Urticaria pigmentosa mimicking xanthoma disseminatum
Najeeba Riyaz
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Correspondence Address:
Najeeba Riyaz
PMID: 20952937 A case of urticaria pigmentosa mistaken for xanthoma disseminatum is presented.
Keywords: Urticaria pigmentosa, Xanthoma disseminatum
How to cite this article:
Riyaz N. Urticaria pigmentosa mimicking xanthoma disseminatum. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 1995;61:165 |
| Introduction | |  |
Mast cell diseases include a wide spectrum of clinical entities characterized by an infiltrate of tissue mast cells. The commonest clinical type is urticaria pigmentosa. The skin lesions of urticaria pigmentosa may be mistaken for naevi, ephelides, xanthomas and
naevoxanthoendotheliomas. We report a case mistaken for xanthoma disseminatum.
| Case Report | | |
An 18-year-old girl born of a non-consanguineous marriage was seen with complaints of generalized papules since childhood. The lesions were occasionally pruritic. There were no systemic complaints. None in the family had similar complaints.
On examination there were bilateral discrete and confluent skin coloured and yellowish papules on the extremities, trunk and face. The mucous membranes were spared and systemic examination was normal. She was admitted with a clinical diagnosis of xanthoma disseminatum. While in the ward she developed severe pruritus and the lesions urticated. On questioning she revealed the history of urtication of lesions after a hot shower or if her mother slapped her. Darier's sign was positive. Skin biopsy was consistent with urticaria pigmentosa. Other investigations were within normal limits.
| Discussion | | |
The classical lesions of urticaria pigmentosa are multiple red brown or hyperpigmented macules or papules which urticate on mild trauma. Large hyperpigmented macules are the commonest form of childhood urticaria pigmentosa. Rarely the lesions are yellowish and may be mistaken for xanthomas.[1] The clinical diagnosis was missed in view of the absence of hyperpigmentation and the uniformly yellowish papules.
| References | | |
| 1. | Demis DJ. Mast cell disease. In: Clinical Dermatology. 12th edn. Philadelphia: Harper and Row, 1985;23.  |
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