Reticular variant of mid-dermal elastolysis.

Am J Dermatopathol 30(3):287-90 (2008) PMID 18496436

A 49-year-old man presented with a 20-year history of an asymptomatic reticular eruption on his upper trunk. On examination, there were well-demarcated orange-red patches with reticular margins and irregular central atrophy on the lateral chest and proximal upper limbs. Skin biopsies showed histological evidence of elastophagocytosis with scant lymphocytic inflammation. Elastin stains demonstrated focal loss of elastic fibers in the reticular dermis, consistent with mid-dermal elastolysis. Mid-dermal elastolysis is a rare disorder characterized by focal loss of elastic tissue in the mid-dermis. The etiology remains obscure. Reticular presentations of mid-dermal elastolysis have rarely been described and extend the clinical spectrum of dermal elastolytic disorders.