Dermoscopic features of skin lesions in patients with mastocytosis

[Objectives]: To evaluate dermoscopic features in a group of 127 patients with mastocytosis in the skin and to investigate the relationship between different dermoscopic patterns and other clinical and biological characteristics of the disease. [Design]: Clinical and laboratory data were compared among patients with mastocytosis grouped according to the different dermoscopic patterns. [Setting]: Patients were selected from the Instituto de Estudios de Mastocitosis de Castilla La Mancha and the Department of Dermatology of Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal from April 1 through September 30, 2009. [Patients]: Overall, 127 consecutive patients (70 females [55.1%] and 57 males [44.9%]; median age, 17 years; range, 0-81 years) with mastocytosis in the skin were included in the study. [Main Outcome Measures]: Evaluation of dermoscopic patterns and investigation of potential predictive factors for more symptomatic forms of the disease according to the need for daily antimediator therapy. [Results]: Four distinct dermoscopic patterns were observed: yellow-orange blot, pigment network, reticular vascular pattern, and (most frequently) light-brown blot. A reticular vascular pattern was identified in all telangiectasia macular eruptiva and some maculopapular mastocytosis. In turn, all patients with mastocytoma displayed the yellow-orange blot pattern. The reticular vascular dermoscopic pattern was associated with the need for daily antimediator therapy; this pattern, together with serum tryptase levels and plaque-type mastocytosis, represented the best combination of independent factors to predict the need for maintained antimediator therapy. [Conclusions]: Dermoscopy is a feasible method for the subclassification of mastocytosis. Of note, a reticular vascular pattern is more frequently associated with the need for antimediator therapy. ©2011 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.This work was supported by grant PS 09/00032 from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias of the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (Dr Escribano) and grants FISCAM 2007/36 and FISCAM 2008/46 from Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha (Dr Escribano). Dr Vano-Galvan was the beneficiary of a Jorge Francisco Tello Muñoz scholarship supported by the Agencia Laín Entralgo, Community of Madrid.Peer Reviewe