Pachydermoperiostosis (Touraine-Solente-Gole syndrome): a case report

Pachydermoperiostosis (PDP) is a rare disorder characterized by clubbing of the fingers, thickening of the skin (pachyderma), and excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). It typically appears during childhood or adolescence, often around the time of puberty, and progresses slowly. Clinical presentations of PDP can be confused with secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid acropachy, and acromegaly.

A Mongolian male, aged 19 years, resident of a hilly district of Nepal, with history of consanguinity, presented to our outpatient department with chief complaints of pain and swelling in both hands and feet for 6 years. The pain was insidious in onset, throbbing in nature, and not relieved by over-the-counter medications. The patient also complained of profuse sweating, progressive enlargement of hands and feet, and gradual coarsening of facial features. On examination there were marked skin folds in the forehead, face, and eyelids. Clubbing and swelling of bilateral knee joints and ankle joints was also evident. He was subsequently investigated extensively for acromegaly. Insulin-like growth factor-1 level and oral glucose tolerance test were normal. Radiography of various bones showed periosteal hypertrophy with subperiosteal bone formation.

PDP should be considered as a differential diagnosis when a patient presents with hypertrophic osteoarthropathy and acromegalic features.