Tamihiro Kawakami
St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Japan
Title: Unilateral nevoid telangiectasia on the lower extremity of a pediatric patient
Biography
Biography: Tamihiro Kawakami
Abstract
Unilateral nevoid telangiectasia is characterized by the unilateral and dermatomal distribution of telangiectasia. This rare disorder is believed to be related to increased estrogen receptors in the involved skin. A 12-year-old Japanese girl had a progressive unilateral nevoid telangiectasia that began six years earlier on her left leg and foot. Examination revealed numerous wiry and spidery telangiectases of her left lower extremities. She had normal blood estrogen levels. A skin biopsy revealed only dilated blood vessels in the superficial dermis. Tissue specimens from the macules revealed no expression of estrogen receptors. Unilateral nevoid telangiectasia is a unique vascular dermatosis of ambiguous etiology. Our patient did not have any disease induced by an estrogenized pathological state during the four year follow-up period after her initial examination. We propose that unilateral nevoid telangiectasia may result from localized trigger factors based on a chromosomal mosaicism, independent of an abnormal hormonal state.