Abstract
Acanthosis nigricans, which generally appears on the skin and only uncommonly occurs on the oral mucosa, is characterized by papillary proliferation, hyperkeratosis, and pigmentation. A rare case of acanthosis nigricans of the hard palate is presented.
A 64-year-old woman presented with a slight rough feeling of the hard palate. During the past 3 months, she noticed multiple papillary lesions in the mouth and dark pigmentation extending from the neck to the back. Oral examination indicated multiple, amall, nonpigmented, papillomatous nodules on the hard palate. Histological examination revealed papillomatosis and acanthosis of the epithelium. We made a diagnosis of acanthosis nigricans and immediately searched for malignant visceral tumors. A gastric carcinoma was detected by gastroscopy, and it was associated with pericarditis carcinomatosa. Three months later she died of pulmonary embolism.
Acanthosis nigricans associated with oral lesions may be malignamt; the diagnosis of this condition is therefore important for the early detection and treatment of underlying cancer.
