Linear focal elastosis in a young black man: a new presentation

Abstract

We report the sixth case of linear focal elastosis. Our patient is a thin 29-year-old black man who was first seen with rows of papules with a yellow hue distributed symmetrically on the lumbar region of the back. The patient had been aware of these lesions since early childhood, and similar lesions reportedly had occurred in his late father. Light microscopic examination demonstrated dermal thickening but no change in the epidermis. The elastic tissue stain revealed fragmented elastic fibers throughout the dermis. This case meets previously defined diagnostic criteria for linear focal elastosis, which has been reported as isolated cases in elderly white or Japanese men. Our patient is the first young black man with a possible familial association.