Benign cutaneous Degos disease in a 16-year-old girl

Degos disease is a rare disorder, characterized by the development of typical atrophic porcelain-white macules on the trunk and extremities. It most commonly occurs in middle-aged Caucasian adults and eventuates in fatality in the majority of patients. A minority of reported patients have a more benign course and a favorable outcome. Degos disease is extremely rare in children. We report Degos disease in a teenager with an extended survival and the absence of internal involvement. We discuss the concept of benign cutaneous Degos and review the 34 patients (30 adults and four children) identified in the world literature with skin biopsy and at least 1 year of follow-up; the average age was 37.6 years; 26 were female and eight were male. As opposed to the malignant form of Degos disease, benign cutaneous Degos is more commonly reported in women (3:1). No laboratory abnormalities have been predictive of a benign versus malignant course. We also discuss the 24 reported instances of Degos disease (malignant and benign) in the pediatric population, of which 14 (58%) were fatal, with death occurring on average 3.6 years after diagnosis.