title: Acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus: a rare histopathologic feature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidermal nevus is a congenital malformation of the epidermis consisting of verrucoid scaly plaques on the skin, often in a linear fashion. Different histologic features have been seen and, at times, acantholytic dyskeratosis has been observed. We report a new case of acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 3-year-old girl presented, since birth, asymptomatic keratotic scaly lesions on the left hemithorax and left arm that followed Blaschko's lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biopsies revealed acanthosis, papillomatosis, hyperkeratosis and focal areas of suprabasal clefting with acantholysis, as well as individual dyskeratotic cells (corps ronds et grains) in the upper layers of the epidermis. In the literature, this histologic feature has been reported twice. Generalized or localized Darier's disease are well-established clinical entities with characteristic histologic features of acantholytic dyskeratosis. Because of the linear clinical appearance and the onset at birth or early childhood, the lesions should be regarded as epidermal nevi and not linear Darier's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report here an additional case of dyskeratotic epidermal nevus, which is a rare histopathologic feature.
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie du Professeur Bonafé, Hôpital Rangueil, Toulouse, France. mazereeuw-hautier.j@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazereeuw-Hautier
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thibaut
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bonafé
mesh_terms: D000051:Acantholysis / Q000473:pathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006222:Hamartoma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009506:Nevus / Q000473:pathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*