CHILD syndrome with mild skin lesions: histopathologic clues for the diagnosis

A Case of Verruciform Xanthoma of Labia in a Child

Purpose

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is a rare, chronic, and benign lesion affecting the skin and mucous membranes. We reported a case of VX in the vulva of a female child.

Patients and Methods

A 12-year-old female had vulvar lesions for over 10 years without any discomfort. Physical examination revealed red lobulated patches on the left labia majora with a few scales attached to the surface. Histopathological examination indicated excessive and incomplete keratinization, hypertrophic spinous layer hyperplasia, neutrophil infiltration in the epidermis, and foam-like tissue could be seen in the dermal papilla. Lymphocyte-dominated inflammatory cell infiltration was scattered around the blood vessels. Immunohistochemical results showed positive CD68.

Results

The final diagnosis confirmed the presence of VX.

Conclusion

Surgical intervention proved successful in achieving favorable outcomes for the patient.

[Verrucous exophytic tumor of the glans penis]

A 59-year-old man presented with a growing tumor on the glans penis, which we excised. Histologically, there was an acanthotic epidermis under which the papillary dermis was filled with foamy macrophages, best seen in a CD 68 stain. Verruciform xanthoma was diagnosed. Knowledge of this benign diagnosis may prevent an overly hasty, aggressive approach, since the differential diagnosis of penile carcinoma requires much more radical therapy, and mutilating penile surgery is associated with considerable psychosexual distress for patients.

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) encompasses a spectrum of inflammatory mosaic disorders

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is a rare skin disease characterized by pruritic erythematous scaly plaques distributed along the lines of Blaschko. Two cases of ILVEN with CARD14 mutations and one case with a GJA1 mutation have been previously reported.

OBJECTIVE

To elucidate the genetic cause of a cohort of patients diagnosed based on clinical and histopathological evaluation with ILVEN.

METHODS

We recruited patients diagnosed with ILVEN based on clinical and histopathological criteria. Exome sequencing of affected skin with or without blood/saliva was performed and germline and somatic pathogenic variants were identified.

RESULTS

Five patients were enrolled. All had skin lesions from birth or early childhood. Two patients developed psoriasis vulgaris after the diagnosis of ILVEN. The first had a germline heterozygous CARD14 mutation and a post-zygotic hotspot mutation in KRT10. The histopathologic evaluation did not show epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. The second had a post-zygotic hotspot mutation in HRAS. Her ILVEN became itchy once psoriasis developed. One patient was re-diagnosed with linear porokeratosis based on a germline mutation in PMVK and a post-zygotic second-hit mutation. Two patients were re-diagnosed with congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defect nevus based on germline NSDHL mutations.

CONCLUSION

ILVEN is a clinical descriptor for a heterogenous group of mosaic inflammatory disorders. Genetic analysis has the potential to more precisely categorize ILVEN and permits pathogenesis-directed therapies in some cases.

A case of inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus successfully treated with Brodalumab

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is a rare type of epidermal nevus, commonly arising in childhood. We present a case of a 13-year-old female with Blaschkoid psoriasiform plaques extending from her left foot to the scalp, sparing the right side of the body. While treatment options historically show variable success, we trialed an IL-17a receptor inhibitor as studies have shown increased levels of IL-17 receptor expression in ILVEN keratinocytes. At both 3 and 6 months after treatment initiation there was found to be significant improvement. We propose brodalumab as an effective treatment option for widespread ILVEN.

A novel NSDHL variant in CHILD syndrome with gastrointestinal manifestations and localized skin involvement

Background

CHILD syndrome is an X‐linked dominant disorder associated with pathogenic mutations in the NSDHL gene. The condition is predominantly found in females as it is lethal in males. Most cases present at birth with extensive unilateral ichthyosiform erythroderma involving the trunk and limbs. Milder and less extensive presentations have been reported, leading to misdiagnosis especially during early childhood.

Methods and Results

We report an adult female of Malay ancestry who presented with minimal skin and limb involvement. She was only diagnosed in adulthood when she presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and worsening of skin manifestations. The clinical diagnosis was suspected after a combination of clinical, pathological and immunohistochemistry correlation, and molecularly confirmed with the discovery of a frameshift variant in NSDHL. The novel variant was inherited from her mother who had some linear hypopigmented patches over the medial aspects of both her arms and right forearm.

Conclusion

We uncovered a novel frameshift variant associated with presentations that cast a new light on the clinical features of CHILD syndrome.

Verruciform Acral-Associated (Vacas) Xanthoma: Case Report and Review

Verrucous xanthoma is a benign histiocytic lesion of macrophage derivation. We describe a woman with a non-mucosal verruciform xanthoma located on her right thumb and review the features of patients with verruciform acral-associated xanthoma. A 69-year-old woman presented with a lesion on her right thumb of eight years duration that had been previously treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy without resolution. An initial biopsy was consistent with the surface of a callous. A second biopsy demonstrated a verruciform xanthoma. The patient elected to apply lactic acid 12% twice daily and pare the lesion with a pumice stone once weekly; this resulted in flattening of the xanthoma-associated hyperkeratosis. Acral verruciform xanthoma has, albeit rarely, been described on the hands and feet of individuals. Including the patient in this report, six individuals have been reported with verrucous xanthoma on the hands and 12 individuals have been reported with a verrucous xanthoma on the feet. Verruciform xanthoma most commonly occurs on the oral mucosa. Genital lesions are also a frequent site. Acral-distributed verruciform xanthoma is rare; we propose that a verruciform xanthoma that occurs on acral sites be referred to as a verruciform acral-associated (Vacas) xanthoma.

Genital verruciform xanthoma: lessons from a contemporary multi-institutional series

AIMS

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is an uncommon lesion, seen in the oral mucosa and rarely occurring at cutaneous genital sites. Reports of exceptional VX presentations dominate the literature; herein, we assess the clinical and histological features of a cohort of routine, consecutive cases.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Clinicopathological features of genital VXs from four academic centres were reviewed. A cohort of 25 lesions from 24 patients (22 male, two female; median age = 62 years), occurred on the scrotum (84%), penis (8%) and perineum/vulva (8%). VX was never suspected clinically; considerations ranged from fibroepithelial polyps to squamous cell carcinoma. Classic diagnostic criteria were present at least focally in each lesion, including verrucous architecture, prominent wedge-shaped parakeratosis extending between exophytic epidermal projections and neutrophils in the stratum corneum. Xanthomatous cells were present in all cases, but scattered to rare in 24%.

CONCLUSIONS

Consecutive genital VXs reliably exhibited classic histopathological features, although the essential finding of xanthomatous cells may be scarce. Our comparison to meta-analyses of published cases found relatively fewer penile and vulvar examples. Additionally, the median age was older than in published series, which have emphasised syndromic associations.

A missense variant in the NSDHL gene in a Chihuahua with a congenital cornification disorder resembling inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevi

Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defects syndrome in humans is a genodermatosis characterized by inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevi (ILVEN), often showing a striking lateralization pattern. It is caused by variants in the NSDHL gene encoding a 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase involved in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. In the present study, we investigated a female Chihuahua, which showed clinical and histological signs of ILVEN. We performed a candidate gene analysis in the affected animal. This analysis revealed a single missense variant in the NSDHL gene in the affected dog (XM_014111859.2:c.700G>A). The variant is predicted to cause a non-conservative amino acid change from glycine to arginine, XP_013967334.1:p.(Gly234Arg). The mutant allele was absent from WGS data of 594 genetically diverse dogs and eight wolves. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the variant was heterozygous in the affected dog and absent from 22 control Chihuahuas. Based on the knowledge about the functional impact of NSDHL variants in dogs and other species, c.700G>A is probably pathogenic and a convincing candidate causative variant for the observed skin lesions in the affected Chihuahua.

Genetic variant in the NSDHL gene in a cat with multiple congenital lesions resembling inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevi

BACKGROUND

The feline counterpart of human inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) has been described; however, the possible underlying developmental defect has not been investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of multiple ILVEN-like lesions in a cat with a genetic variant in the NSDHL gene.

ANIMALS

A 2-year-old, female, domestic short hair cat with a history of multiple alopecic, verrucous, hyperpigmented and erythematous skin lesions, following Blaschko's lines on the head, the limbs, the trunk and paw pads.

METHODS AND RESULTS

According to the clinical and histopathological findings, a diagnosis of multiple ILVEN-like lesions was made. Genetic investigation revealed a heterozygous missense variant in the X-chromosomal NSDHL gene predicted to lead to a loss-of-function of the NSDHL protein.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of feline ILVEN-like lesions in which a genetic cause has been proposed. Future studies to establish a causal relationship between NSDHL variants and skin lesions might lead to pathogenesis-directed treatments.

Epidermal Nevi and Related Syndromes -- Part 1: Keratinocytic Nevi

Epidermal nevi are hamartomatous lesions derived from the epidermis and/or adnexal structures of the skin; they have traditionally been classified according to their morphology. New variants have been described in recent years and advances in genetics have contributed to better characterization of these lesions and an improved understanding of their relationship with certain extracutaneous manifestations. In the first part of this review article, we will look at nevi derived specifically from the epidermis and associated syndromes.

Vegas (Verruciform Genital-Associated) Xanthoma: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Introduction

Verruciform xanthoma is a wart-like benign lesion. The classic histologic appearance consists of foamy histiocytes within elongated dermal papillae and epithelial acanthosis. The lesion most commonly occurs in the oral cavity, but has been reported in extra-oral sites such as the penis, scrotum, and vulva. The clinical and histologic characteristics of verruciform genital-associated (Vegas) xanthomas of the penis, scrotum, and vulva are reviewed.

Methods

PubMed was used to search the following term: verruciform xanthoma. The relevant papers were obtained and reviewed.

Results

There have been 193 cases of genital-associated verruciform xanthomas. There were 164 in men and 29 in women. Similar to verruciform xanthomas of the oral mucosa, they presented as asymptomatic lesions, demonstrated foam cells in the dermal papillae, and were typically managed successfully with surgical excision.

Conclusion

Verruciform xanthoma is a benign lesion characterized by a wart-like growth that is most commonly seen in the oral mucosa. Verruciform xanthomas of the genital region have been coined Vegas xanthomas. Vegas xanthomas have been reported in association with a variety of diseases, as well as in healthy individuals. Biopsy is required for diagnosis, and complete surgical excision is typically curative.