Simultaneous development and parallel course of disseminated superficial porokeratosis and ovarian cancer: Coincidental association or true paraneoplastic syndrome?

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2008-04, Vol.58 (4), p.657-660
• Main Authors: Cannavó, Serafinella Patrizia, MD, Borgia, Francesco, MD, PhD, Adamo, Barbara, MD, Guarneri, Biagio, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - complications; Biological and medical sciences; Dermatology; Dyskeratosis; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Injuries of the skin. Diseases of the skin due to physical agents; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Ovarian Neoplasms - complications; Paraneoplastic Syndromes; Porokeratosis - complications; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Tumors
• ISSN: 0190-9622; 1097-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2007.12.030

Disseminated superficial porokeratosis has been described in the setting of immunosuppressive conditions, including organ transplantation, infections, and hematopoietic malignancies. The outbreak of disseminated superficial porokeratosis during the development of solid organ malignancies has been rarely reported in the literature in patients affected by hepatitis C virus–related hepatocellular carcinoma or by cholangiocarcinoma, which suggests a paraneoplastic nature of the cutaneous disease. We report an unusual case of disseminated superficial porokeratosis in a patient affected by ovarian cancer, characterized by simultaneous onset and a parallel course of the two pathologies; there was good clinical response to chemotherapy, accompanied by a successful stop of disseminated superficial porokeratosis progression and gradual clearing of the keratotic lesions.