Florid cutaneous papillomatosis

The abrupt onset of acanthosis nigricans (AN) or of multiple seborrheic keratoses in middle-aged or older people is often associated with underlying malignant neoplasms. We describe a 64-year-old woman who developed a large number of verrucous papillomas on the trunk and extremities, followed within a few months by the sudden appearance of both the lesions of AN and those of multiple seborrheic keratoses. Laparotomy disclosed a gastric adenocarcinoma. A number of similar cases have been described in the literature. It is emphasized that patients with suddenly appearing verrucous papillomas should be examined carefully for an underlying cancer. To call attention to this eruption, which may be mistaken for generalized warts, we suggest the term "florid cutaneous papillomatosis".