title: Confetti-like macular atrophy: A new entity?
abstract: Anetoderma, is characterized by herniated atrophic macules clinically and by decreased to absent dermal elastic fibers histopathologically. Atrophoderma is characterized by depressed, atrophic, pigmented patches clinically and by thickened and homogenized dermal collagen bundles with absence of elastolysis histopathologically. Atrophoderma elastolyticum discretum describes lesions that are reminiscent of atrophoderma clinically but they are compatible with anetoderma histopathologically. A 34-year-old female patient presented with diffuse, hypopigmented, atrophic, shiny macules on the upper limbs and upper trunk. Histopathological examination revealed an atrophic epidermis with disorganized, hyalinized and coarse collagen bundles in the middle and lower dermis. Elastic fiber loss and fragmentation were detected in the upper dermis. The other patient was a 42-year-old female patient. She applied with diffuse, hypopigmented, shiny, atrophic macules on the upper limbs and upper trunk. Histopathological examination revealed findings that were similar to those of the first case but there was near complete loss of elastic fibers throughout the whole thickness of dermis. Our cases did not show depressed or herniated atrophic macules clinically but the macules were at the same level with the surrounding healthy skin. Histopathological findings in these cases showed the histopathological features of both atrophoderma and anetoderma. These two cases are interesting because they may represent a clinicopathological entity which has not been described before.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Clinic, TDV 29 Mayis Private Ankara Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. bmaksoy@mynet.com
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ustün
authors.forename: Rukiye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gülbahçe
authors.forename: Mahi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balci
authors.forename: Hasan M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Civaş
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Atakan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003483:Cutis Laxa / Q000473:pathology*; D020405:Dermis / Q000473:pathology; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017496:Hypopigmentation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D014421:Turkey