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| Fig. 18.4 A 45-year-old man with numerous hyperpigmented macules of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. |
Lentigines are brown to dark brown, 1- to 5-mm macules that may occur on any cutaneous surface. They resemble freckles, but on biopsy, these lesions have increased numbers of melanocytes and increased melanocyte and basal keratinocyte pigmentation.
A benign condition characterized by the rapid development of hundreds of lentigines widespread over the skin surface in adolescents or young adults has been described. However, the presence of multiple lentigines at a young age is suggestive of autosomal dominant disorders, especially Moynahan’s syndrome or Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (Fig. 18-4).
