Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
15th National Conference of the IAOMFP, Chennai, 2006
Abstract
Abstracts from current literature
Acne in India: Guidelines for management - IAA Consensus Document
Addendum
Announcement
Art & Psychiatry
Article
Articles
Association Activities
Association Notes
Award Article
Book Review
Brief Report
Case Analysis
Case Letter
Case Letters
Case Notes
Case Report
Case Reports
Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
Clinical Article
Clinical Studies
Clinical Study
Commentary
Conference Oration
Conference Summary
Continuing Medical Education
Correspondence
Corrigendum
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cosmetology
Current Best Evidence
Current Issue
Current View
Derma Quest
Dermato Surgery
Dermatopathology
Dermatosurgery Specials
Dispensing Pearl
Do you know?
Drug Dialogues
e-IJDVL
Editor Speaks
Editorial
Editorial Remarks
Editorial Report
Editorial Report - 2007
Editorial report for 2004-2005
Errata
Erratum
Focus
Fourth All India Conference Programme
From Our Book Shelf
From the Desk of Chief Editor
General
Get Set for Net
Get set for the net
Guest Article
Guest Editorial
History
How I Manage?
IADVL Announcement
IADVL Announcements
IJDVL Awards
IJDVL AWARDS 2015
IJDVL Awards 2018
IJDVL Awards 2019
IJDVL Awards 2020
IJDVL International Awards 2018
Images in Clinical Practice
Images in Dermatology
In Memorium
Inaugural Address
Index
Knowledge From World Contemporaries
Leprosy Section
Letter in Response to Previous Publication
Letter to Editor
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor - Case Letter
Letter to the Editor - Letter in Response to Published Article
LETTER TO THE EDITOR - LETTERS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Letter to the Editor - Observation Letter
Letter to the Editor - Study Letter
Letter to the Editor - Therapy Letter
Letter to the Editor: Articles in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters in Response to Previous Publication
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor - Letter in Response to Previously Published Articles
Letters to the Editor: Case Letters
Letters to the Editor: Letters in Response to Previously Published Articles
Media and news
Medicolegal Window
Messages
Miscellaneous Letter
Musings
Net Case
Net case report
Net Image
Net Images
Net Letter
Net Quiz
Net Study
New Preparations
News
News & Views
Obituary
Observation Letter
Observation Letters
Oration
Original Article
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Original Contributions
Pattern of Skin Diseases
Pearls
Pediatric Dermatology
Pediatric Rounds
Perspective
Presedential Address
Presidential Address
Presidents Remarks
Quiz
Recommendations
Regret
Report
Report of chief editor
Report of Hon : Treasurer IADVL
Report of Hon. General Secretary IADVL
Research Methdology
Research Methodology
Resident page
Resident's Page
Resident’s Page
Residents' Corner
Residents' Corner
Residents' Page
Retraction
Review
Review Article
Review Articles
Reviewers 2022
Revision Corner
Self Assessment Programme
SEMINAR
Seminar: Chronic Arsenicosis in India
Seminar: HIV Infection
Short Communication
Short Communications
Short Report
Snippets
Special Article
Specialty Interface
Studies
Study Letter
Study Letters
Supplement-Photoprotection
Supplement-Psoriasis
Symposium - Contact Dermatitis
Symposium - Lasers
Symposium - Pediatric Dermatoses
Symposium - Psoriasis
Symposium - Vesicobullous Disorders
SYMPOSIUM - VITILIGO
Symposium Aesthetic Surgery
Symposium Dermatopathology
Symposium-Hair Disorders
Symposium-Nails Part I
Symposium-Nails-Part II
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis
Tables
Technology
Therapeutic Guideline-IADVL
Therapeutic Guidelines
Therapeutic Guidelines - IADVL
Therapeutics
Therapy
Therapy Letter
Therapy Letters
View Point
Viewpoint
What’s new in Dermatology
View/Download PDF

Translate this page into:

Quiz
90 (
2
); 244-246
doi:
10.25259/IJDVL_224_2023
pmid:
37609741

A patient with multiple asymptomatic yellow papules on the scalp

Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China.

Corresponding author: Dr. Ruzhi Zhang, Department of Dermatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China. zhangruzhi628@163.com

Licence
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

How to cite this article: Wang H, Zhang R. A patient with multiple asymptomatic yellow papules on the scalp. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2024;90:244–6. doi: 10.25259/IJDVL_224_2023

A 68-year-old woman presented with numerous asymptomatic yellow papules on the scalp for 20 years, gradually increasing in size and number over time. Recently, a yellowish-red nodule appeared among the existing lesions. The patient had no specific past medical history besides hyperlipidemia.

Physical examination revealed approximately 50 yellow to skin-coloured papules and a yellowish-red nodule on her occipital region [Figure 1]. Dermatoscopy from the yellowish papules revealed a uniform bright yellow structureless material [Figure 2a]. The yellowish-red nodule had dilated capillaries on its surface and lipid accumulation below that [Figure 2b].

Histopathological analysis of one of the yellow papules showed the presence of a cyst containing eosinophilic keratinous material in the dermis, with the cystic wall consisting of several layers of epithelium without a granular layer. Sebaceous gland lobules were observed near the cystic wall [Figures 3a and 3b]. Histopathology of the yellowish-red nodule revealed nodular masses composed of predominantly lymphocytes and histiocytes in the superficial and mid dermis, with multinucleated giant cells and keratotic material also present [Figures 3c and 3d].

Question

What is your diagnosis?

Approximately 50 smooth-surfaced, yellow or skin-coloured, dome-shaped papules with diameters ranging from 3–10 mm located on the occipital region
Figure 1a:
Approximately 50 smooth-surfaced, yellow or skin-coloured, dome-shaped papules with diameters ranging from 3–10 mm located on the occipital region
There was a yellowish-red nodule with a diameter of approximately 7 mm among the yellowish papules
Figure 1b:
There was a yellowish-red nodule with a diameter of approximately 7 mm among the yellowish papules
The yellowish papules revealed a uniform bright yellow structureless material
Figure 2a:
The yellowish papules revealed a uniform bright yellow structureless material
The yellowish-red nodule had dilated capillaries on its surface and lipid accumulation below that
Figure 2b:
The yellowish-red nodule had dilated capillaries on its surface and lipid accumulation below that
A cyst contained eosinophilic keratinous materials located in the dermis, with the cystic wall consisting of several layers of epithelium without a granular layer (H&E, 100x)
Figure 3a:
A cyst contained eosinophilic keratinous materials located in the dermis, with the cystic wall consisting of several layers of epithelium without a granular layer (H&E, 100x)
Sebaceous gland lobules were observed near the cystic wall (H&E, 100x)
Figure 3b:
Sebaceous gland lobules were observed near the cystic wall (H&E, 100x)
Nodular masses were composed of predominantly lymphocytes and histiocytes in the superficial and mid dermis (H&E, 100x)
Figure 3c:
Nodular masses were composed of predominantly lymphocytes and histiocytes in the superficial and mid dermis (H&E, 100x)
Multinucleated giant cells and keratotic material were also present (H&E, 400x)
Figure 3d:
Multinucleated giant cells and keratotic material were also present (H&E, 400x)

Diagnosis

Steatocystoma multiplex accompanied by foreign-body granuloma.

Discussion

Steatocystoma multiplex is a rare and benign skin disorder typically arising during adolescence or early adulthood. Despite the lack of a well-defined aetiology and pathogenesis, studies have demonstrated that mutations in the KRT17 gene are prevalent in many steatocystoma multiplex patients.1 Steatocystoma multiplex lesions tend to occur in areas of the body that are rich in sebaceous glands, with the most common locations being the trunk, axillae, extremities, face and scalp, and rarely the genitals and breasts.2 However, there have been a few reports of lesions that are strictly confined to the scalp. Steatocystoma multiplex is typified by the presence of multiple small, skin-coloured or yellowish cutaneous cysts that are generally asymptomatic. Nonetheless, its clinical presentation can often imitate other frequently encountered dermatological conditions such as acne vulgaris, vellus cysts, and epidermoid or dermoid cysts.2

We report a case of steatocystoma multiplex exclusively localized on the scalp of a 68-year-old woman. Sina et al. described a case of steatocystoma multiplex, which manifested as foreign body granulomas.3 The author proposed that a foreign body granuloma could be formed if the cysts were ruptured spontaneously or by trauma. Presently, various modalities such as CO2 laser, surgical excision, cryotherapy and isotretinoin have been employed to treat steatocystoma multiplex.2 However, counselling is often advised in cases where the lesions are located on the scalp and face since potential treatments may result in scarring. When informed about the benign nature of these lesions, our patient declined further treatment and is presently undergoing regular follow-ups.

Declaration of patient consent

The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

  1. , , , , , . Mutation analysis of the KRT17 gene in steatocystoma multiplex and a brief literature review. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020;45:132-34.
    [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. , , . Numerous asymptomatic dermal cysts: diagnosis and treatment of steatocystoma multiplex. Can Fam Physician. 2018;64:892-99.
    [PubMed] [PubMed Central] [Google Scholar]
  3. , . Steatocystoma multiplex manifesting as a foreign body granuloma. Cutis. 1984;33:401-2.
    [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Fulltext Views
3,030

PDF downloads
2,328
View/Download PDF
Download Citations
BibTeX
RIS
Show Sections