title: Pityriasis rotunda as a cutaneous marker of hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparison with its prevalence in other diseases.
abstract: In an attempt to substantiate the claim that pityriasis rotunda may be a useful cutaneous marker of hepatocellular carcinoma in South African Blacks, the prevalence of the rash in 63 unselected South African Blacks with this tumour was compared to that in 63 matched patients with active tuberculosis, 63 with other malignant tumours, and 63 with various forms of chronic benign hepatic disease. The prevalence of pityriasis rotunda in hepatocellular carcinoma was 15.9%, which was appreciably greater (P = 0.0005) than the overall prevalence of the rash (2.6%) in the controls. The prevalence was 4.8% for tuberculosis (P = 0.038), 0% for other malignant diseases (P = 0.0007), and 3.2% for chronic benign hepatic disease (P = 0.015). We conclude that the presence of pityriasis rotunda is a useful pointer to the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in South African Blacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hodkinson
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kew
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: DiBisceglie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010915:Pityriasis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications