A Case of White Fibrous Papulosis of the Neck

Abstract

We report a 71-year-old woman who had white popular lesions on her neck for about 2 years. On first examination, the patient presented with 1-4 mm size, elastic, slightly firm, smooth-surfaced,follicularly non-congruent white papules scattered on the neck. Dermoscopy revealed a cluster of white, unstructured areas with indistinct borders. Histopathologically, coarsening and increase of collagen fiber bundles were observed in the upper and middle dermis. Elastica van Gieson (EVG) staining and Kossa staining showed no evidence of elastic fiber degeneration or calcium deposition. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of white fibrous papulosis of the neck (WFPN) was made. Structural changes in collagen fibers due to physiological aging may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. However, physiological aging alone cannot explain the low frequency of WFPN, and factors other than physiological aging, such as genetic predisposition and underlying diseases, should be evaluated in the future. Skin Research, 21 : 181-186, 2022