Acanthosis Nigricans: An Updated Review

BACKGROUND: Early recognition of acanthosis nigricans is important because acanthosis nigricans can be a cutaneous manifestation of a variety of systemic disorders and, rarely, as a sign of internal malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to familiarize pediatricians with the clinical manifestations, evaluation, diagnosis, and management of acanthosis nigricans.

METHODS: A search was conducted in November 2021in PubMed Clinical Queries using the key term "acanthosis nigricans". The search strategy included all clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews published within the past 10 years. Only papers published in the English literature were included in this review. The information retrieved from the above search was used in the compilation of the present article.

RESULTS: Acanthosis nigricans is characterized by symmetric, hyperpigmented, and velvety plaques with ill-defined borders, typically involving intertriginous areas. Obesity is the most common cause of acanthosis nigricans which is increasingly observed in obese children and adolescents and can serve as a cutaneous marker of insulin resistance. Early recognition of acanthosis nigricans is important because acanthosis nigricans can also be a cutaneous manifestation of a variety of systemic disorders and, rarely, as a sign of internal malignancy. This may consist of weight reduction, discontinuation of causative drugs, treatment of underlying endocrinopathy, or treatment of an underlying malignancy. For patients with isolated acanthosis nigricans and for those whose underlying cause is not amenable to treatment, treatment of the lesion may be considered for cosmetic reasons. Topical retinoids, vitamin D analogs, chemical peels, and other keratolytics are often used for the treatment of localized lesions. Seldom, systemic therapy such as oral retinoids may be considered for extensive or generalized acanthosis nigricans and acanthosis nigricans unresponsive to topical therapy. Other uncommon treatment modalities include dermabrasion, laser therapy, and surgical removal.

CONCLUSION: Although acanthosis nigricans is treatable, a complete cure is difficult to achieve. The underlying cause should be treated, if possible, to resolve and prevent the recurrence of acanthosis nigricans. The diagnosis is mainly clinical, based on the characteristic appearance (symmetrically distributed, hyperpigmented, velvety, papillomatous, hyperkeratotic plaques with ill-defined borders) and the typical sites (intertriginous areas, flexural area, and skin folds) of the lesions. The diagnosis might be difficult for lesions that have atypical morphology or are in an unusual location. Clinicians should be familiar with the clinical signs, evaluation, diagnosis, and therapy of acanthosis nigricans because of the link between it and underlying diseases.