Malignant Acanthosis Nigricans Research Articles

The site and histology of the cancer associated with malignant acanthosis nigricans

The site and histology of the cancer associated with malignant acanthosis nigricans

The site and histology of the cancer associated with malignant acanthosis nigricans.

The site and histology of the cancer associated with malignant acanthosis nigricans.

Acanthosis Nigricans and Endocrine Disease

To the Editor:— It is of the greatest importance to differentiate malignant acanthosis nigricans, which is one of the best external clues to internal adenocarcinoma, from benign and pseudo acanthosis nigricans, which do not threaten the patient's life. The paper by Winkelmann, Scheen, Jr., and Underdahl (The JournalOct. 29, 1960, p. 1145), however, does not decrease the difficulties of differentiating the various types. Winkelmann et al . apply to the benign type, which is present at birth or begins in childhood or at puberty, the term congenital, which they do not use in its strict sense, meaning present at birth, but as referring to the state [of acanthosis nigricans] having been present since infancy. What they call benign post-pubertal acanthosis nigricans is either malignant or pseudo acanthosis nigricans, since the benign type does not begin after puberty. It seems difficult to connect, as they do, acanthosis nigricans with so many

Genetic studies on acanthosis nigricans.

In a previous paper by one of us (H. O. C. 1 ) the separate character of benign and malignant acanthosis nigricans was stressed. Differences between the two types exist with regard to the age of the patient at the onset of the dermatosis, the course, and the activator of the disorder. It was also pointed out that there may be in the genetic background of the two types significant differences which could furnish additional evidence for the assumption that benign and malignant acanthosis nigricans are separate diseases. The result of our genetic studies has confirmed our early impression. Since some controversy over the necessity of recognizing different types of acanthosis nigricans has arisen, we shall briefly define benign and malignant acanthosis nigricans before reporting our genetic data on these forms of the dermatosis. Pseudo acanthosis nigricans, a third variety, will also be described, and the reasons

PITUITARY BASOPHILISM IN THE JUVENILE TYPE OF ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS

To the Editor:— In a clinical note inThe Journalfor Sept. 18, 1954, page 242, Dr. Rothman described pituitary basophilism in the juvenile type of acanthosis nigricans in a 41-year-old man weighing 345 lb. The author states that patients with disease of the benign or juvenile type are usually excessively obese. Obesity is not a common feature in the benign type. Among 30 patients whom I examined, 28 were of normal weight and only 2 were slightly overweight. The features that distinguish the benign from the malignant type of the dermatosis may be summarized as follows. Benign acanthosis nigricans starts at birth, in childhood, or at puberty. After the onset of the dermatosis the process remains stationary or spreads. Extension occurs most frequently at puberty, but the dermatosis remains stationary or regresses after that period. Malignant acanthosis nigricans may start at any age. It may occur in children, but

Significance of acanthosis nigricans.

ACANTHOSIS nigricans is significant not only to dermatology; its ramifications and associations extend to many branches of medicine. This paper elaborates on aspects of acanthosis nigricans which are of interest to various medical disciplines. Two types of acanthosis nigricans, a dermatosis in itself, are observed. The type associated with cancer of an internal organ is because of this association called malignant. The type of the dermatosis not so associated is called benign. The quotation marks denote that it is illogical to differentiate the two types by such qualifications. The terms malignant and benign have, however, been retained for practical reasons. These designations are far more satisfactory than the terms adult and juvenile, since children may suffer from and die of malignant acanthosis nigricans, while otherwise healthy, older persons have suffered from benign acanthosis nigricans for many years. Benign acanthosis nigricans begins at birth or in childhood or