Cobb syndrome associated with a verrucous (angiokeratomalike) vascular malformation

Cobb syndrome is defined by a cutaneous vascular lesion and a corresponding spinal cord vascular malformation within a segment or two of the involved dermatome. Even though Cobb syndrome has been reported in association with various cutaneous vascular lesions, to our knowledge, only one other previous report describes verrucous changes overlying the cutaneous vascular lesion. We describe a patient with verrucous vascular malformation extending from his right chest to his right upper back in a dermatomal distribution. The patient's medical history included excision of a cavernous vascular malformation from the corresponding segment of his thoracic spinal cord 4 years prior, reversing 7 years of progressive leg weakness and neural deficits. Cobb syndrome was diagnosed based on the dermatomally distributed vascular malformation and the corresponding spinal cord vascular malformation. His skin lesions initially improved with erbium: YAG laser treatment but later recurred. This is the second reported case of Cobb syndrome associated with verrucous angiokeratomalike changes overlying the cutaneous vascular malformation. Because of the potentially severe neurologic sequelae caused by spinal cord lesions, clinicians should evaluate patients with dermatomally distributed cutaneous lesions on the trunk or extremities, including vascular malformations with verrucous features.