[Bazex paraneoplastic acrokeratosis. Treatment with acitretin].

INTRODUCTION

Bazex paraneoplastic acrokeratosis remains a therapeutic challenge when the cancer cannot be treated. We report the third patient in which a complete clearance of the lesions was obtained with oral acitretine.

CASE REPORT

A 67 year-old patient had Bazex paraneoplastic acrokeratosis. Despite a complete cancer screening, no cancer was found. A cervical lymph node metastasis was treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Because the cutaneous lesions got worse after this treatment, the patient received oral acitretine. A complete clearing of the lesions was observed within 2 months.

DISCUSSION

Only 2 similar cases have been reported to our knowledge. The comparison with these 2 cases supports the efficacy of oral retinoids in this disease. The search and the treatment of the cancer remain compulsory.

CONCLUSION

In some definite cases, oral retinoids can be proposed as a treatment of cutaneous lesions in Bazex paraneoplastic acrokeratosis.