title: Diffuse cutaneous mastocytosis responding to cyproheptadine.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Osaka Medical College, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kusakabe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiyokane
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D003533:Cyproheptadine