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Annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma: sparing of a burn scar and successful treatment with chloroquine
Author(s) -
Esen ÖzkayaBayazit,
Nesimi Büyükbabanı,
Can Baykal,
As Ozturk,
Murat Okcu,
H. Peter Soyer
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1999.02723.x
Subject(s) - giant cell , granuloma annulare , pathogenesis , medicine , pathology , chloroquine , atrophy , granuloma , phagocytosis , dermatology , immunology , malaria
Annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma is a rare granulomatous skin disease characterized by phagocytosis of elastic fibres by multinucleated giant cells. Lesions are either solitary or grouped in a few annular patches with elevated borders and central atrophy. Sun‐exposed areas are more commonly involved than covered skin. The pathogenesis of the disease is still controversial. We report a 72‐year‐old fair‐skinned woman with unusual clinical findings. An irregularly shaped erythematous plaque covered the entire face, and hundreds of lichenoid papules were present on both sun‐exposed and covered areas which gradually evolved into annular lesions of about 0.5–1 cm in diameter. Sparing of an old burn scar and a nearly complete lack of elastic fibres in the scar site were noted, illustrating the presumed importance of dermal elastic tissue in the pathogenesis. The course of the disease is chronic. Several treatments have been tried, with variable success. In our patient, improvement was achieved with chloroquine over a period of 16 weeks.