Clinical Comestibles?
Match the diagnosis to the photo by letter
a. Scarlet fever
b. Keratosis pilaris
c. Lymphedema
d. de Morgan spots
For answers, see next issue; for discussion, go to www.mdedge.com/clinicianreviews/picture
Photos and text for cases 2 and 4 courtesy of Richard P. Usatine, MD; from Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013:551-556.
To learn more about the Color Atlas of Family Medicine, see: www.amazon.com/Color-Family-Medicine-Richard-Usatine/dp/0071769641/
You can now get the second edition of the Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app by clicking on this link: usatinemedia.com.
1. This 45-year-old woman’s skin has multiple small, soft, compressible papules, one of which is apt to bleed when scratched. She is concerned that these “cherry red” lesions are precancerous.
Diagnosis: Cherry angiomas, also known as de Morgan spots, are extremely common lesions; though usually asymptomatic, they may bleed with trauma. They occur most commonly as multiple asymptomatic lesions on the trunk and arms. These capillary hemangiomas are dome-shaped, small (0.1 to 0.5 cm in diameter), and bright red to violaceous; they can be flat, raised, or nodular.
Cherry angiomas form as a result of the development of multiple capillaries with narrow lumens and prominent endothelial cells arranged in a lobular pattern in the papillary dermis. Effective treatment options include curettage, laser ablation, and electrodesiccation.
For more information, see Kim, J-H, Park H-Y, Ahn SK. Cherry Angiomas on the Scalp. Case Rep Dermatol. 2009;1(1):82–86.
