Erythema gyratum repens with metastatic adenocarcinoma

A patient with Erythema Gyratum Repens (EGR) had a marked increase of his eruption, with uncontrollable pruritus that was unresponsive to steriod therapy. This culminated in an exfoliative dermatitis. A metastatic, undifferentiated adenocarcinoma was removed following a right-sided craniotomy. The patient then had complete cessation of his pruritus, with moderate improvement of his eruption. All the reported cases of EGR were reviewed in terms of the source of the malignant disorder. The relationship between the time of onset of the EGR and the discovery of the malignant disorder, as well as the effect of treatment of the malignant condition on the course of the EGR, was studied. The data suggest a highly probable relationship between the two.