Benign papular acantholytic dermatosis
M. R. Heaphy, S. B. Tucker and R. K. Winkelmann
Seven male patients, aged 41 to 63, had benign papular acantholytic
dermatosis. The patients complained of firm, intensely pruritic, 1- to
3-mm, reddish-brown or flesh-colored papules. The lesions were usually
found on the upper part of the torso or on the neck. At least five of the
seven patients reported that sunlight initiated or exacerbated the
condition. The mean duration of the disorder exceeded two years.
Histologically, the predominant lesion in all seven cases was acantholysis.
Dyskeratosis was not a characteristic finding, being absent in five of the
seven cases and minimally present in two. We will compare the features of
benign papular acantholytic dermatosis with those of other papular
acantholytic disorders.