Malignant atrophic papulosis is a rare systemic vaso-occlusive disorder characterized by thrombosis of vessels of the dermis, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system and, occasionally, other organs. Cutaneous lesions consist of erythematous, dome-shaped papules that develop a central area of necrosis to leave a porcelain-like scar. The most accepted theory of pathogenesis is based on endothelial cell damage. There is no effective treatment of the disease. We describe a 26-year-old man with Degos' disease, a diagnosis based on the clinical and histologic pattern of skin lesions. The good response to antiplatelet therapy and the absence of systemic involvement over 8 years' follow-up is noteworthy. We believe that this case represents the benign form of the disease, typically referred to as benign cutaneous Degos' disease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.