Diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis responding to cyproheptadine.
A 3-month-old male infant was referred to our department with a generalized brown, thickened leathery skin and blisters which had been present since birth; the blisters developed recurrently at sites of minor trauma, healing without scar formation, although Darier's sign was positive. Microscopically, biopsy specimens showed a dense dermal band-like infiltrate with mast cells, whereas a biopsy from a vesicle showed subepidermal bulla formation. Physical examination did not reveal any systemic involvement with mastocytosis and the patient was treated with cyproheptadine, which has considerable anti-serotonin activity and, interestingly, reduced the degree of blistering; this treatment might therefore be tried in other cases.
Enomoto
U
U
Department of Dermatology, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.
Kusakabe
H
H
Matsumura
T
T
Kuno
T
T
Tamai
H
H
Kiyokane
K
K
D003533:Cyproheptadine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014582:Urticaria Pigmentosa / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D003533:Cyproheptadine