Frictional melanosis: Clinical picture and its main physical, morphological, organic, histopathological and psychological manifestations

Abstract

Introduction: Melanosis due to friction or rubbing is a skin disease caused by mechanical irritation in specific areas of the skin, characterized mainly by a diffuse and mottled darkening observable in the epidermis. Objective: This article analyzes the clinical picture and the main physical, morphological, organic, histopathological and psychological manifestations of frictional melanosis. Methodology: This is a documentary review with a non-experimental design, which raises the main clinical manifestations of friction melanosis, in order to differentiate it from other pathologies that also correspond to skin pigmentations. Result: The analysis indicates that there are several types of clinical manifestations for this pathology classified within the melanosis, namely, morphological, physical, organic, histopathological, and psychological manifestations. Conclusions: In conclusion, the importance of knowing the clinical picture and the manifestations of friction melanosis is highlighted in order to differentiate it from other similar pathologies, such as: cantosis nigricans, cutaneous amyloidosis, andcontact dermatitis; very similar diseases in terms of physical and morphological manifestations, but differ in origin and organic and histopathological manifestations; therefore, different treatments must be administered. Thus, having a specific understanding of the clinical picture and the different manifestations of frictional melanosis contributes to issuing aaccurate diagnosis and, therefore, administer the most appropriate treatment.