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Case Reports
. 2021 Sep-Oct;66(5):540-542.
doi: 10.4103/ijd.ijd_894_20.

Porokeratosis Ptychotropica: Dermoscopy, Reflectance Confocal Microscopy, and Histopathological Correlation

Francesco Lacarrubba  1 , Maria Letizia Musumeci  1 , Anna Elisa Verzì  1 , Claudia Poma  1 , Rosario Caltabiano  2 , Giuseppe Micali  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Porokeratosis Ptychotropica: Dermoscopy, Reflectance Confocal Microscopy, and Histopathological Correlation

Francesco Lacarrubba et al. Indian J Dermatol. 2021 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Porokeratosis ptychotropica (PP) is a rare variant of porokeratosis characterized by pruritic, symmetrical, red-brown verrucous papules, and plaques most commonly localized within the gluteal fold. Herein, we report the clinical, dermoscopy, and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) aspects of a case of PP in a 63-year-old Caucasian woman along with histopathological correlation. Both dermoscopy and RCM were able to recognize the cornoid lamella, the histopathological clue shared by all clinical variants of porokeratosis. These non-invasive techniques may help in the differential diagnosis with other inflammatory/infectious and neoplastic disorders that may clinically resemble PP, but show distinct patterns.

Keywords: Cornoid lamella; dermoscopy; diagnosis; porokeratosis ptychotropica; reflectance confocal microscopy histopathology.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Symmetrical roundish, hyperkeratotic, brownish papules coalescing to form polycyclic plaques with raised borders, localized over gluteal fold and the perianal area
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Polarized dermoscopy (×10): Annular, white-yellowish hyperkeratotic rim (arrows) demarcating a central scar-like area with whitish scales and some globular vessels. (b) Reflectance confocal microscopy: Well-defined, peripheral rim appearing as an amorphous structure (asterisks) abruptly interrupting the epidermis (arrows). (c) Histopathology showing the cornoid lamella (asterisk), epidermal vacuolization, absence of granular cell layer and a slight chronic inflammatory infiltrate (H and E, ×100)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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