Malignant acanthosis nigricans with florid papillary oral lesions

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology and endodontics oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology and endodontics, 1996-04, Vol.81 (4), p.445-449
• Main Authors: Tyler, Martin T., Ficarra, Giuseppe, Silverman, Sol, Odom, Richard B., Regezi, Joseph A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acanthosis Nigricans - complications; Acanthosis Nigricans - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - complications; Adenocarcinoma - secondary; Biological and medical sciences; Dentistry; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms - complications; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Multiple Organ Failure - etiology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Papilloma - complications; Papilloma - pathology; Stomach Neoplasms - complications; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 1079-2104; 1528-395X
• DOI: 10.1016/S1079-2104(96)80021-7

Acanthosis nigricans is a distinctive skin disease of importance, because it has served as an external markerfor a variety of systemic disorders including endocrinopathies and malignant tumors of internal organs. It typically appears as hyperpigmented, roughened plaques of velvety consistency and infrequently as verruca-like papillations. The oral cavity and lips can be affected by florid papillary growths. Because of its rarity and nonspecific microscopic appearance, clinical recognition of acanthosis nigricans continues to be a challenge. A case of mucocutaneous “malignant” acanthosis nigricans is presented in which pigmented skin lesions led to the discovery of a gastric adenocarcinoma, which in turn was followed by the appearance of massive oral papillomatosis. No effective treatment was found.