Acanthosis Nigricans in Adolescents versus Adults; Association with Obesity, Diabetes and Hypertension

Abstract

Objectives: Acanthosis nigricans presents as black velvety plaques on flexural surfaces which is associated with obesity, T2DM and HTN. To study sites and types of AN (Acanthosis Nigricans) in adolescents Vs. adults and its associations. Study design & setting: This cross sectional study was conducted from IstMar-31stAug 2021 at RIHS Islamabad after ethical approval. Methodology: Adolescents and adult cases of both the genders with AN were included by convenience sampling. Critically ill cases, endocrine disorders, pregnancy and malignancy were excluded.57 adolescents and 57 gender matched adults were included. After the detailed clinical evaluation, BMI, waist circumference, sites and types of AN were documented. Blood sugars and workup for PCO’s, suggested. Data was analyzed by SPSS 21. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney-U test applied. Results: Out of 114 cases,77(67.5%) were females. The mean age was 17.99+14.18 years and mean BMI was 31.63+6.92 kg/m2.Obesity was observed in 75(65.8%); 44(77.2%) adolescents Vs. 31(54.4%) adults (p=0.010). Mean waist circumference was 37.03+3.74 inches.AN at Neck 113(99.1%) and benign AN 111(97.4 %) were the most frequent. The types of AN were associated with obesity, DM 31(27.2%) and HTN 27(23.7%) (p<0.05). Conclusions: Benign and HAIR-AN were most frequent. Adolescents with AN have significantly higher obesity than adults. HTN was significantly higher in adults. DM in AN was observed regardless of age group. It is suggested to screen all AN cases regardless of age or gender for obesity, HTN and DM. Early diagnosis may contribute to improve quality of life, prevent morbidity of systemic diseases and improve outcome in AN cases.