Bilateral acromial dimples: a case report and review of the literature

Bilateral acromial dimples are uncommon in pediatric dermatology. They are usually found as a sporadic finding with limited clinical symptoms but may cause concern for parents. They can occur spontaneously or be inherited. Bilateral acromial dimples may occasionally be present as part of more complex syndromes. This article reports an 18-month-old girl with congenital bilateral acromial dimples and presents a classification of this unusual entity. A literature review of English and non-English publications was performed. We report the second case of bilateral acromial dimples seen in the context of maternal cocaine use during pregnancy. Our case is probably sporadic and nonsyndromal. We suggest that bilateral acromial dimples be classified as syndromal or nonsyndromal and that nonsyndromal cases be subdivided into inherited and sporadic. Although bilateral acromial dimples can be seen in 18q deletion syndrome, Apert syndrome, Say syndrome, and a recently described syndrome in Brazil, our review of the literature does not support the association with trisomy 9 syndrome. Dermatologists need to be aware of this unusual cutaneous finding and potential syndromal associations. The significance of the association with fetal exposure to cocaine during pregnancy has yet to be determined. The biological mother was not available for assessment for bilateral acromial dimples.