Verruciform xanthoma. Occurrence in eroded skin in a patient with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

Verruciform xanthoma is a rare, granular, plaque-like lesion which occurs on mucosal surfaces and is characterized by acanthosis with xanthoma cells in the dermis between rete pegs. A case of verruciform xanthoma is reported which occurred on the sacral region in a patient with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Electron microscopic studies suggested that many of the xanthoma cells were fibroblasts whose vacuolated appearance was expressed in cell culture and persisted for several passages. The occurrence of a verruciform xanthoma in a patient with severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa suggests that repeated epidermal and/or dermal damage gave rise to a reactive process involving the formation of lipid-laden cells.