Diagnosis: Self-healing papular mucinosis
Description: Ivory-white papules.
Morphology: Papules white
Site: Neck front
Sex: F
Age: 14
Type: Clinical
Submitted By: Nameer Al-Sudany
Differential DiagnosisHistory:
Self-healing papular mucinosis occurs in a juvenile and an adult form. The juvenile variant (self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis), is a rare, but distinct disorder, characterized by the sudden onset of skin lesions and polyarthritis. Children, most commonly between the ages of 5 and 15, are affected. Skin lesions are ivory-white papules of the head, neck, trunk, and typically the periarticular regions; deep nodules on the face and periarticular sites; and hard edema of the periorbital area and face. An acute arthritis affects the knees, elbows, and hand joints. Although the initial presentation is worrisome, the prognosis is excellent with spontaneous resolution without sequelae over several months. Here is a typical case of self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis in a 14-year-old girl who bothered by asymptomatic ivory-white papules involved the face, neck and trunk with associated with bilateral knee arthritis of one month duration. Skin biopsy (HE stain & Alcian blue stain) revealed dermal mucin with little fibroblastic proliferation or collagen deposition.