Diagnostic Pearls of Vulvar Epidermolytic Acanthoma: Case Report

Epidermolytic acanthomas (EA) are uncommon benign tumors clinically presenting as single to multiple papules. Histologically, EA display hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, acanthosis, and epidermal degeneration-also known as epidermolytic hyperkeratosis (EH). EA may be misdiagnosed as condyloma both clinically and histopathologically when located on the genitalia. Thus, this diagnosis carries a significant psychological burden and must remain in the differential when initially considering genital warts. We utilize the case of a 62-year old female referred to dermatology for a 5-year history of multiple pruritic and hypopigmented vulvar papules-misdiagnosed as genital warts-to highlight the impact of differentiating EA from genital warts. This patient was initially misdiagnosed with common genital warts at her gynecologist's office and treated unsuccessfully for years. A shave biopsy was performed and histology revealed EH, consistent with EA.