Acantholytic acanthoma.
This article describes 31 examples of acantholytic acanthoma, a newly recognized, solitary, benign cutaneous tumor. Acantholytic acanthoma was typically an asymptomatic, keratotic papule or nodule. Patients ranged in age from 32 to 87 years (median 60 years); the ratio of men to women was 2:1; the most frequent clinical diagnosis was keratosis; and half of the growths were on the trunk of the body. Histologically, the lesions showed hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, and acanthosis. Acantholysis was an outstanding finding in all cases; the patterns resembled pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus vegetans, superficial pemphigus, or Hailey-Hailey disease, but no patient had evidence of any of these disorders. The term acantholytic is used because acantholysis is the outstanding histologic feature in these neoplasms; acanthoma was chosen because the growths are benign tumors of epidermal keratinocytes. The relationship of acantholytic acanthoma to acantholytic blistering disease is similar to that of solitary lichen planus-like keratosis to lichen planus and epidermolytic acanthoma to bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma.
Brownstein
M H
MH
Laboratory of Dermatopathology, Port Washington, NY 11050.
D000051:Acantholysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010212:Papilloma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
D007633:Keratins