title: Cutaneous mastocytosis: demographic aspects and clinical features of 55 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mastocytosis is a rare, heterogeneous group of disorder with abnormal increase of mast cells in one or more organ systems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the demographic and clinical features of cutaneous mastocytosis (CM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 55 patients with cutaneous mastocytosis were retrospectively analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 22 females and 33 males, 80% had urticaria pigmentosa/maculopapular CM and 20% had mastocytoma. Of all cases, 81.8% had first lesions in childhood. The most common presentation was involvement of trunk together with extremities. Thirteen (23.6%) patients had history of bulla; Darier's sign was positive in 34 of 38 patients. Itching was the most common complaint, provocated by hot weather/bath.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical presentations of urticaria pigmentosa/maculopapular CM and mastocytoma are similar regarding gender, age of onset, age of diagnosis, and presence of Darier's sign and history of bulla. In contrast to mastocytoma, urticaria pigmentosa/maculopapular CM lesions were frequently located on trunk together with extremities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Haceteppe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akoglu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erkin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cakir
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boztepe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaduman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Atakan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kolemen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D034701:Mastocytosis, Cutaneous / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies