An infant with extensive cutaneous nodular juvenile xanthogranuloma and hyperlipidemia

Congenital-type juvenile xanthogranuloma: A case series and literature review

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Congenital juvenile xanthogranulomas are infrequently described in the medical literature. We report three previously unpublished cases and systematically review the literature to better characterize this variant.

METHODS

We surveyed English-language articles indexed in MEDLINE (1951-March 2017) and EMBASE (1974-March 2017) for cases of congenital-onset juvenile xanthogranulomas confirmed on histopathology. Cases were divided into two categories: cutaneous only or cutaneous with systemic involvement.

RESULTS

We identified 31 cases of congenital juvenile xanthogranulomas involving only the skin and 16 cases with systemic involvement. Congenital juvenile xanthogranulomas involving only the skin were large (> 3 cm), presented with various clinical morphologies, and showed signs of regression by 1 year of age. Atypical clinical presentations included exophytic tumors, infiltrative plaques, agminated plaques, and subcutaneous tumors. Complications included ulceration and anetodermic scarring. Infants with congenital cutaneous juvenile xanthogranulomas who also had systemic involvement typically had multiple cutaneous tumors and hepatic involvement and showed signs of spontaneous regression independent of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The medical literature supports that congenital juvenile xanthogranulomas behave in a fashion similar to that of juvenile xanthogranulomas of infancy or childhood. Congenital cutaneous juvenile xanthogranulomas with or without systemic involvement spontaneously regress. The varied clinical presentations in the skin may lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate examination, and unnecessary treatments. Infants with multiple congenital cutaneous juvenile xanthogranulomas should be evaluated for systemic involvement, with a particular focus on the liver, because 72.2% of these children were found to have hepatic juvenile xanthogranulomas.

Use of pimecrolimus cream in disorders other than atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

Pimecrolimus is indicated for treatment of atopic dermatitis and has been evaluated in many other disorders.

OBJECTIVE

To review the efficacy of pimecrolimus in treatment of disorders other than atopic dermatitis.

METHODS

We performed a PubMed search of the English-language literature using the key word "pimecrolimus." We reviewed articles reporting the use of pimecrolimus in disorders other than atopic dermatitis and classified them by the type of study used to evaluate efficacy.

RESULTS

Randomized, double-blind studies have shown that pimecrolimus is superior to vehicle in treatment of seborrheic dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and asteatotic eczema but have yielded conflicting results regarding intertriginous psoriasis and vitiligo. Open-label studies involving four or more patients have shown favorable results in many disorders, including contact dermatitis, rosacea, lichen sclerosus, and oral and genital lichen planus. Case reports have shown that topical pimecrolimus may be useful in cutaneous graft-versus-host disease, lichen striatus, cutaneous lichen planus, and many other disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical pimecrolimus appears to be an effective treatment for many disorders other than atopic dermatitis, especially seborrheic dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and asteatoic eczema. It may be effective in many other disorders, but its role in these disorders remains to be clarified by additional studies.