Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis arising in adulthood: 9 cases

Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis has only been reported in children up till now. The purpose of this study is to present the clinical characteristics of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis in adulthood and to discuss the potential role of infectious agents. A retrospective study concerning nine cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis observed over a ten year period was undertaken, concerning clinical, histological and epidemiological aspects of the disease. The patients, 8 women and one man had an acute eruption of numerous papules measuring 2-5 mm in diameter, disseminated on the face, limbs and trunk. The papules were erythematous and telangiectatic, surrounded by a white halo. The lesions blanched completely with pressure and refilled from the center on release. Histological examination was performed on 4 patients, showing dilated blood vessels with plump endothelial cells but no evidence of an increased number of vessels. Epidemiological data revealed the onset of the disease during hospitalisation for treatment of cancer or asthma in four patients and among the five remaining patients, two were hospitalized in a retirement home and one was a nurse in a psychiatric hospital. These data suggest that the eruption could be linked with a infectious disease despite the negativity of some serological investigations. We report for the first time cases of pseudoangiomatosis arising in adulthood.