Skin nontumor
Spongiotic, psoriasiform and pustular reaction patterns
Prurigoform acanthosis
Last author update: 1 August 2011
Last staff update: 18 March 2020
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PubMed Search: Acanthosis [title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Hamodat M. Prurigoform acanthosis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skinnontumorprurigoformacanthosis.html. Accessed September 21st, 2023.
Definition / general
- A chronic spongiotic dermatitis due to sustained skin irritation, often from rubbing or scratching
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Epidermis shows hyperkeratosis, acanthosis and pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia
- Subepidermal fibrin deposition and mild spongiosis with dermal scarring
- Dermis shows vascular hyperplasia with dilated vessels in papillary dermis and reticular dermis
- New vessel formation with perivascular, mild infiltrate of lymphocytes, some histiocytes, plasma cells and occasional eosinophils; mast cells are normal in number
- Lymphoid follicles may be seen
- Nerves may appear normal, increased in number or hyperplastic
Differential diagnosis
- Cutaneous T cell lymphoma, hypertrophic actinic keratosis (atypia), early keratoacanthoma (atypia)
