Dermoscopy of Sebaceous Hyperplasia

Abstract

T HE LESIONS ARE FROM THE FOREHEAD OF A 67-year-old woman (Figure 1), the left cheek of a 57-year-old man (Figure 2), and the right cheek of a 49-year-old man (Figure 3) (size bar, 3 mm). All 3 lesions reveal a similar pattern. Aggregated white or yellow nodules can be identified at the center of the lesion. These yellowish nodules correspond to hyperplastic sebaceous glands. Sometimes the ostium of the gland is visible as a small crater. The yellowish nodules are surrounded by groups of orderly winding, scarcely branching vessels. The vessels may extend toward the center but they never cross it. They are not arborizing. Their pattern can be described clearly by the term “crown vessels” and this vascular pattern is specific for hyperplastic sebaceous glands. Editor’s Note: The skINsight section is a forum for the presentation of dermatologic images. The current effort is to foster the recognition of patterns in dermatologic disease processes that may enhance both diagnostic and research capabilities. The initial focus is on dermoscopic images. Theoretically, these patterns reflect the interaction of specific gene defects with local environmental factors. The exercise here is to group lesions with similar dermoscopic patterns—not pathologic criteria. The ultimate benign or malignant behavior is not the focus of this section.