Epidermal Nevus Syndrome Workup

  • Author: Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH; Chief Editor: William D James, MD   more...
 
Updated: Mar 22, 2012
 

Imaging Studies

MRIs can be used to evaluate intracranial involvement. MRIs may show cerebral atrophy, dilated ventricles, hemimegalencephaly, pachygyria, or enlarged white matter.

Multiple abnormalities are found on neuroimaging studies in patients with Jadassohn nevus phacomatosis. Findings include hemimegalencephaly (usually ipsilateral to the major skin lesions and contralateral to neurologic deficits), cortical atrophy, pachygyria, cortical heterotopias, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and Dandy-Walker syndrome.

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Other Tests

EEG findings are abnormal in approximately 90% of patients. In almost all patients who had focal paroxysmal electroencephalographic abnormalities, the epileptiform focus was ipsilateral to the major skin lesions.

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Histologic Findings

Histologic examination of the 4 types of epidermal nevi is variable.

Typically, the histologic examination of linear epidermal nevus reveals marked hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, and acanthosis with rete ridge elongation in a psoriasiform pattern. Changes of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, acantholytic dyskeratosis, and those resembling verruca vulgaris and comedo formation may also be observed.

Histologic examination of inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus reveals a similar psoriasiform hyperplasia of the epidermis, alternating parakeratosis without a granular layer, and orthokeratosis with a thickened granular layer. Occasionally, changes of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, acantholytic dyskeratosis, and those resembling verruca vulgaris and comedo formation may be noted.

In nevus comedonicus, rudimentary hair follicles are dilated to form epidermal invaginations, which are filled with keratin in concentric lamellae. The follicular walls are composed of several layers of keratinocytes, which occasionally show changes of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Scattered hair shafts and small sebaceous lobes may be evident in early specimens; in older specimens, the shafts and lobes, as well as arrector pili muscles, are absent. The interfollicular epidermis is often papillomatous and hyperkeratotic, and ossification may be observed in the dermis.

Linear sebaceous nevus combines epidermal, follicular, sebaceous, and apocrine gland abnormalities. It reflects the normal sebaceous elements seen in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Thus, in early life, the lesions are well developed because of maternal hormonal expression, whereas, in childhood, they are underdeveloped and reduced in size and number. At this stage, incomplete and undifferentiated hair structures may be a key to diagnosis, with prominent keratin-filled infundibula and malformed hair germs.

At puberty, this neoplasm tends to blossom with large, maturing sebaceous glands and papillomatous hyperplasia. In adulthood, benign appendageal tumors as well as malignant ones may develop. Syringocystadenoma papilliferum, chondroid syringoma, and nodular hidradenoma are most common in infancy. Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or keratoacanthoma are most common in adulthood. Rarely, tumors, such as apocrine carcinoma and porocarcinoma, may appear with more metastatic potential.

One series of 155 cases of linear sebaceous nevus with clinicopathologic correlation could not identify any cases of authentic basal cell carcinoma or other malignancies, whereas several examples of primitive follicular induction and trichoblastomas were evident.[20] Other cutaneous hamartomas, hyperplasias, and neoplasms in that series included sebomatricoma, apocrine gland cyst, poroma, and different histopathologic variants of what are often considered to be warts (eg, classic warts, tricholemmoma, desmoplastic tricholemmoma).

Neuropathologic findings may also be evident. Nervous system changes may also occur in patients with linear epidermal nevus syndrome. Disorganization of cortical neuronal migration and organization, polymicrogyria, heterotopia, white matter gliosis, increased neuronal size, and/or excessive neuron and astrocyte proliferation may be observed.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH  Professor and Head, Dermatology, Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, and Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sergiusz Jozwiak, MD, PhD  Head, Professor, Department of Child Neurology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute of Warsaw, Poland

Sergiusz Jozwiak, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: Sigma Xi

Disclosure: Novartis Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Specialty Editor Board

Mark A Crowe, MD  Assistant Clinical Instructor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Mark A Crowe, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and North American Clinical Dermatologic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

David F Butler, MD  Professor of Dermatology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Chair, Department of Dermatology, Director, Dermatology Residency Training Program, Scott and White Clinic, Northside Clinic

David F Butler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for MOHS Surgery, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Van Perry, MD  Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio

Van Perry, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Glen H Crawford, MD  Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Chief, Division of Dermatology, The Pennsylvania Hospital

Glen H Crawford, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society of USAF Flight Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

William D James, MD  Paul R Gross Professor of Dermatology, Vice-Chairman, Residency Program Director, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

William D James, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and Society for Investigative Dermatology

Disclosure: Elsevier Royalty Other

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Characteristic epidermal nevus in the axillary fossa of a child with Jadassohn nevus phakomatosis.
An extensive plaque is observed over most of the left scapula, neck area, and lumbosacral location.
Plaque is evident in the region of the left groin, and it has a unilateral distribution.
Epidermal nevus syndrome, demonstrating extension of a plaque distally.
Extensive unilateral linear epidermal nevi in a 14-year-old girl with Jadassohn nevus phakomatosis. The plaques are elevated; some have verrucous characteristics.
An 8-year-old girl with Jadassohn nevus syndrome. Note typical plaques in the midline and on the arm and the neck. The plaques are darker and more verrucous on the arm and the neck than on the midline.
 
 
 
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