Verruciform xanthoma-like phenomenon in seborrheic keratosis

Verruciform Xanthomas in the Setting of COVID-19: A Case Series and Review of Other Conditions Associated With This Benign Cutaneous Neoplasm

Verruciform xanthoma is a rare benign neoplasm that predominantly affects the oral mucosa but can also affect cutaneous sites on the face, trunk, extremities, and genitalia. It is usually identified in isolation; however, there are several known associations with other conditions. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus that emerged in December 2019 and caused a worldwide pandemic. It primarily manifests as a respiratory illness although various associations and sequelae of COVID-19 are still being elucidated. The clinical and pathologic presentations of two cases of Verruciform xanthoma associated with documented COVID-19 infection at our institution after the start of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 are described. In addition, we reviewed the literature for other infectious and non-infectious diseases associated with Verruciform xanthomas to see if there is any basis for a potential link between this rare benign neoplasm and novel viral infection.

Oral Verruciform Xanthoma of lateral border of tongue - a sheep in wolf's clothing

Oral Verruciform Xanthoma (OVX) is an uncommon benign lesion of the oral cavity. Most authors consider it to develop as a response to chronic local irritation. It usually presents as a pink, yellow or greyish flat mass occurring on the gingiva, alveolar ridge or hard palate. This paper reports to you the management of a case of Oral Verruciform Xanthoma occurring on the latero-ventral border of the tongue in a young male patient, which is a rare location for this lesion. It goes on to discuss the etiopathogenesis and clinical features of this rare lesion and emphasizes the importance of having a broad knowledge of oral pathologic lesions especially for lesions that resemble malignant or pre-malignant pathologies in the oral cavity.

Verruciform xanthoma: A view on the concepts of its etiopathogenesis

Verruciform xanthoma is a very uncommon papillary growth seen chiefly in the oral mucosa. The presence of foam cells in the connective tissue papillae between the epithelial rete ridges forms the hallmark in its diagnosis. There has been wide speculation and various hypotheses put forth in explaining the etiopathogenesis of verruciform xanthoma and the origin of foam cells. This article aims to update the different hypotheses in understanding the pathogenesis of the lesion.

Verruciform xanthoma of the upper-extremity in the absence of chronic skin disease or syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

Verruciform xanthoma is a rare, benign lesion classically presenting on the oral mucosa or genital area. The etiology is not yet completely understood; however, verruciform xanthoma is often associated with (a) conditions of chronic inflammation or trauma, such as lichen sclerosis, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and pemphigus vulgaris, as well as in a setting of (b) chronic lymphedema, (c) chronic graft versus host disease, or (d) congenital epidermal nevi, such as those associated with the Congenital Hemidysplasia with Ichthyosiform nevus and Limb Defects (CHILD) syndrome. We report a case of a solitary verruciform xanthoma on the forearm of an 82-year-old man without history of chronic dystrophic skin disease or syndrome. In addition, a thorough literature review of extra-oral and extra-genital verruciform xanthomas is presented. On the basis of this review, we believe this case is an extremely rare presentation of a solitary verruciform xanthoma on the upper-extremity of an otherwise healthy individual.

Oral verruciform xanthoma associated with chronic graft-versus-host disease: a report of five cases and a review of the literature

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) is an uncommon benign inflammatory mucocutaneous condition that chiefly occurs in the oral cavity. It is often associated with pre-existing epithelial and/or inflammatory disorder and is characterized histopathologically by papillary epithelial hyperplasia and the presence of foamy macrophages in connective tissue papillae. We report of a series of five cases with VX who concurrently had chronic oral graft-versus-host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Cellular basis of verruciform xanthoma: immunohistochemical and ultrastructural characterization

BACKGROUND

Verruciform xanthoma (VX) holds two basic pathogenic interests: (1) Why and how do macrophage foam cells accumulate exclusively in the sub-basal papillae? and (2) What underlies the disease chronicity? Moreover, an unsolved question is which came first - epithelial hyperplasia or foam cell collection?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed 36 oral mucosal lesions to dissect a series of linked cellular changes in VX using immunohistochemical and ultrastructural techniques.

RESULTS

Macrophage scavenger receptor-1 (MSR-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), CCR2, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were all expressed by foam cells. VX epithelium showed reactivity for MCP-1, HLA-DR and IL8 in varying degrees, and showed a nearly 40% reduction in Langerhans cell density. In sub-epithelial inflammatory infiltrates, CD8+ T cells preponderated (>70%), but only a minority were positive for granzyme B (<1%). Keratinocyte/basal lamina complex exhibited disruption of basal lamina, squamatization and cytolysis of basal cells, fragmentation of desmosomes, and intraepithelial migration of macrophages. In severely inflamed papillae, necrotic foam cells were scavenged by adjacent macrophages.

CONCLUSIONS

Under synergistic regulation of T cells, MCP-1/CCR2-mediated macrophage recruitment in the sub-basal papillae and the lysosomal engulfment of epithelial lipids by MSR-1-bearing macrophages may be central in VX formation. Once developed, ox-LDL-induced foam cell necrosis and macrophage-dependent debris disposal may cyclically perpetuate VX.