Korean J Dermatol.
2021 Jan;59(1):25-32.
Clinicopathological and Dermoscopic Features of Clear Cell Acanthoma
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, Korea
- 2Department of Dermatology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
Abstract
- Background
Clear cell acanthoma is a rare benign epidermal tumor that is considered a nonspecific reactive dermatosis. To date, no reports have described systematic analyses of clear cell acanthoma in Koreans.
Objective
We investigated the clinical, histopathological, and dermoscopic features of clear cell acanthoma.
Methods
In this study, we evaluated 14 lesions of clear cell acanthoma.
Results
We observed female predominance (male:female ratio 1:1.3), and the mean patient age was 55.8±18.0 years (range 15∼76 years), with the peak incidence observed in patients in their 60s. Notably, 57.1% of lesions developed on the lower extremities. The lesion was most commonly misdiagnosed as seborrheic keratosis. Histopathological examination revealed a well-demarcated area of keratinocytes with pale-staining cytoplasm and psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia and mild spongiosis, exocytosis of neutrophils, and thinned suprapapillary plates. Dermoscopic examination showed a clear cell acanthoma with characteristic vascular findings, including pinpoint red dots, globular red dots, and glomeruloid structures with linear or reticular patterns.
Conclusion
Clear cell acanthoma commonly presents as a small solitary lesion measuring <1 cm in diameter that occurs on the lower extremities in women in their 60s. Histopathological characteristics of this lesion include Periodic acid Schiff-positive with pale cytoplasm, and dotted, globular, and glomeruloid vessels with a linear or reticular pattern on dermoscopy. This was a single-center, small-sized retrospective study; however, in our view, the results of this study would contribute to the literature by providing a better understanding of clear cell acanthoma in Koreans.
