Clinically and/or histologically pigmented poromas in Caucasian patients.

AIM: Pigmented poromas are rarely reported and considered to be more common in non-white people and on non-acral sites. Objective of the present study was to report our cases of pigmented poromas with particular attention to the presence of clinical and/or microscopic evidence of pigmentation, their characteristics and the diagnostic pitfall with other pathologies.

METHODS

All the histologically confirmed poromas observed from January 1994 to July 2012 were considered. Clinic-epidemiological data were collected. The presence of clinical pigmentation was recorded as well as the presence of melanin pigmentation or melanocytes in the histologic specimens.

RESULTS

One hundred and one patients with poromas were collected. All the patients were Caucasians. All the lesions were solitary. Only three patients had a clinically visible pigmented poromas. In eight cases the presence of melanin and melanocytes did not produce a clinically visible pigmentation. All the poromas with pigmentation did not occur on palmo-plantar surfaces.

CONCLUSION

Pigmented poromas may be observed even in Caucasian patients and their clinical aspect mimic basal cell carcinoma and/or melanoma. The presence of pigment visible at the histology may not be observed in the clinical expression. The absence of pigmentation on palmo-plantar location is confirmed in all the reported cases.