eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Dermatology
Keratosis Pilaris: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Oct 12, 2009
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
- Multimedia
Differential Diagnoses
Other Problems to Be Considered
- Acne vulgaris
- Pityriasis rubra pilaris
- Folliculitis - Bacterial, fungal, or irritant
- Lichen spinulosus
- Phrynoderma
- Keratosis pilaris atrophicans
- Lichen nitidus
- Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis
- Traumatic anserine folliculosis
- Cutis anserina (gooseflesh)
- Follicular atopic dermatitis
The papules of lichen nitidus tend to be flatter, and lesions develop in crops. Lichen nitidus also shows the property of koebnerization. Keratosis pilaris does not koebnerize.
Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis is an uncommon slightly pruritic papular follicular eruption that affects the neck, face, trunk, and proximal extremities and occurs almost exclusively in black people. Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis differs from keratosis pilaris in distribution and is less keratotic.
Workup
Laboratory Studies
- Keratosis pilaris is clinically diagnosed by the appearance and distribution of the lesions.
Histologic Findings
- The epidermis demonstrates a fine lamellar follicular plug arranged concentrically around a normal hair shaft.
- The plug extends to the level of the hair follicle, and one or more rudimentary hairs may also be present.
- Mild hyperkeratosis and hypogranulosis may also be noted.4
More on Keratosis Pilaris |
| Overview: Keratosis Pilaris |
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Keratosis Pilaris |
| Treatment & Medication: Keratosis Pilaris |
| Follow-up: Keratosis Pilaris |
| Multimedia: Keratosis Pilaris |
| References |
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References
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Jackson JB, Touma SC, Norton AB. Keratosis pilaris in pregnancy: an unrecognized dematosis of pregnancy?. W V Med J. Jan-Feb 2004;100(1):26-8. [Medline].
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Owen WR, Wood C. Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis. Arch Dermatol. Feb 1979;115(2):174-5. [Medline].
Ravikumar BC, Balachandran C, Shenoi SD, et al. Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis: response to psoralen plus UVA therapy. Int J Dermatol. Jan 1999;38(1):75-6. [Medline].
Rook A, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG, et al. Disorders of keratinization. In: Textbook of Dermatology. Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers; 1986:1435-6.
Zouboulis CC, Stratakis CA, Gollnick HP, Orfanos CE. Keratosis pilaris/ulerythema ophryogenes and 18p deletion: is it possiblethat the LAMA1 gene is involved?. J Med Genet. Feb 2001;38(2):127-8. [Medline]. [Full Text].
Further Reading
Keywords
keratosis pilaris alba, keratosis pilaris rubra, goose bumps, hair follicle, keratinized hair follicles, keratotic papule, perifollicular erythema, ichthyosis vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, hyperandrogenism, erythematous papules, corneocyte adhesion, hyperkeratosis, hypogranulosis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Keratosis Pilaris