title: An unusual variant of confluent and reticulated papillomatosis masquerading as tinea versicolor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CARP), also known as Gougerot-Carteaud syndrome, is a rare disorder. It usually presents as hyperkeratotic brown papules that coalesce into plaques with a reticulated periphery on the central trunk of young adults. Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis is most often clinically confused with tinea versicolor and usually does not respond to therapy with antifungals. Minocycline is the treatment of choice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four cases of CARP with the unusual presentation of hypopigmented lesions masquerading as tinea versicolor in dark-skinned (Fitzpatrick skin types IV-V) patients are presented. All cases exhibited characteristic features of CARP on biopsy results and responded to minocycline of several months' duration. Two of the cases were also treated with adjuvant topical tazarotene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hypopigmented variant of CARP in dark-skinned patients makes the clinical differentiation from tinea versicolor extremely challenging. Physicians encountering darkly pigmented individuals with hypopigmented plaques unresponsive to antifungals should have a high clinical suspicion for the hypopigmented variant of CARP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 219 N Broad St, Fourth Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hudacek
authors.forename: Maryam S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.forename: Abby L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: Carrie Ann
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cusack
authors.forename: Christina Lee
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008911:Minocycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010212:Papilloma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D008911:Minocycline