Paraneoplastic Cutaneous Manifestations

   
 
Table 3-26 Paraneoplastic Cutaneous Manifestations
 Entity Clinical Findings Underlying Cancer
 
Acanthosis nigricans (AN)
(Figure 3.48A)
Velvety hyperpigmentation (body folds)
Most common: GI adenocarcinoma (gastric)
 
Acquired angioedema
(Figure 3.50C)
Angioedema without urticaria
Lymphoproliferative diseases
 
Acquired ichthyosis
 
Diamond-shape scale (often legs)
 
Lymphoma (Hodgkin and NHL)
 
Alopecia neoplastica
Cicatricial localized loss of hair
Breast cancer (metastatic)
 
Primary amyloidosis
(Figure 3.49A)
Periorbital ‘pinch’ purpura
Multiple myeloma (one fourth of cases)
 
Bazex sign
(Acrokeratosis neoplastica)
(Figure 3.50A)
Psoriasiform plaques on palms, soles, nose and ear helices
Upper aerodigestive tract carcinoma
 
Carcinoid syndrome
Head/neck flushing, pellagra-like dermatitis, erythema

{↑ 5-HIAA levels (hydroxyindoleacetic acid), a serotonin metabolite}
Mid-gut tumors (w/ liver metastases), gastric/bronchial carcinoid tumors
 
Cryoglobulinemia
Purpura, acrocyanosis, livedo reticularis
Lymphoplasmocytic disorders
 
Dermatomyositis
 
Gottron’s papules, poikiloderma
 
GI and ovarian cancer
 
Erythema gyratum repens
(Figure 3.50D)
Gyrate polycyclic plaques with trailing scale
Various malignancies, bronchogenic carcinoma most common
 
Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita
Sudden growth of soft, downy hair in adult
Lung and colon cancer
 
Metastases, cutaneous
(Figure 3.49F)
Pink/violaceous papules/nodules
Most common: breast and lung
 
Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis
(Figure 3.49D)
Erythematous papules mainly over face and dorsal hands; arthritis
Various malignancies (30% with underlying cancer)
 
Necrolytic migratory erythema (NME)
Erythematous patches with bullae over face, groin and abdomen (severe intertrigo)
Pancreatic carcinoma (α-cell tumor)

{Glucagonoma syndrome: glucagon-secreting carcinoma, NME, weight loss, glossitis, DM}
 
Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma
 
Yellow plaque commonly seen periorbitally
 
Paraproteinemia, occasionally myeloma
 
Nodular fat necrosis
Subcutaneous nodules (legs)
Pancreatic carcinoma
 
Paget’s disease
(Figure 3.49B)
Eczematous to psoriasiform plaque
Adnexal, breast, GU or GI cancer
 
Paraneoplastic pemphigus
Erosive disease of mucous membranes
Lymphoma, CLL
 
Pruritus
 
Localized or generalized
 
Hodgkin’s lymphoma mainly
 
Pyoderma gangrenosum (Figure 3.49E)
Rapidly expanding ulceration with undermined border
Hematologic malignancy (especially atypical bullous form)
 
Sign of Leser-Trélat
Suddent onset of multiple seborrheic keratoses
Various malignancies: carcinoma (gastric, colon, breast) and lymphoma
 
Sweet’s syndrome
Erythematous, pseudovesicular papules, nodules and plaques
Acute myelogenous leukemia, less commonly lymphoma
 
Tripe palms
(Acanthosis palmaris)
(Figure 3.49C)
Thickened, velvety palms witih pronounced dermatoglyphics
Lung cancer (if only palms), gastric cancer (if palms + AN)
 
Xanthoma, plane
Yellow, thin plaques favoring trunk, periorbital and body folds
Monoclonal gammopathy including multiple myeloma
      
 
   
Figure 3.47 A: Pellagra (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) B: Glossitis (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) C: Zinc deficiency with acral bulla (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) D: Scurvy (‘corkscrew’ hairs, perifollicular hemorrhage) (Reprint from Feldman M, ed. Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone, Inc; 1998)
Figure 3.47
A: Pellagra (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
B: Glossitis (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
C: Zinc deficiency with acral bulla (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
D: Scurvy (‘corkscrew’ hairs, perifollicular hemorrhage) (Reprint from Feldman M, ed. Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone, Inc; 1998)
 
Figure 3.48 A: Acanthosis nigricans B: Bullous diabeticorum (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) C: Oral lichen planus (Courtesy of Dr. Iris K. Aronson) D: Erythema nodosum (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) E: Pretibial myxedema (Reprint from Krause W. Cutaneous Manifestations of Endocrine Diseases. London: Springer; 2009) F: Eruptive xanthomas (Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007)
Figure 3.48
A: Acanthosis nigricans
B: Bullous diabeticorum (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
C: Oral lichen planus
(Courtesy of Dr. Iris K. Aronson)
D: Erythema nodosum (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
E: Pretibial myxedema (Reprint from Krause W. Cutaneous Manifestations of Endocrine Diseases. London: Springer; 2009)
F: Eruptive xanthomas (Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007)


Figure 3.49 A: Primary amyloidosis (‘pinch’ purpura) B: Paget’s disease (Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007) C: Tripe palms (Reprint from Krause W. Cutaneous Manifestations of Endocrine Diseases. London: Springer; 2009) D: Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007) E: Pyoderma gangrenosum (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz) F: Cutaneous metastases (bronchogenic carcinoma) (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
Figure 3.49
A: Primary amyloidosis (‘pinch’ purpura)
B: Paget’s disease (Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007)
C: Tripe palms
(Reprint from Krause W. Cutaneous Manifestations of Endocrine Diseases. London: Springer; 2009)
D: Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis
(Reprint from Morgan MB, Smoller BR, Somach SC. Deadly Dermatologic Diseases. New York, NY: Springer; 2007)
E: Pyoderma gangrenosum
(Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
F: Cutaneous metastases (bronchogenic carcinoma) (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
 
Figure 3.50 A: Bazex sign (acrokeratosis paraneoplastica)* B: Acquired perforating disorder (in ESRD) C: Acquired angioedema (resolving) * Reprint from Burgdorf WH, Plewig G, Landthaler M, Wolff HH, eds. Braun-Falco’s Dermatology. 3rd ed., Berlin: Springer; 2009 D: Erythema gyratum repens (Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)
Figure 3.50
A: Bazex sign (acrokeratosis paraneoplastica)*
B: Acquired perforating disorder (in ESRD)
C: Acquired angioedema (resolving)
* Reprint from Burgdorf WH, Plewig G, Landthaler M, Wolff HH, eds. Braun-Falco’s Dermatology. 3rd ed., Berlin: Springer; 2009
D: Erythema gyratum repens
(Courtesy of Dr. Paul Getz)