Comments on angiokeratoma of the tongue

DM Thappa, K Karthikeyan

 Dept of Dermatology and STD, JIPMER Pondicherry - 605006, India

Correspondence Address:
D M Thappa
Dept of Dermatology and STD, JIPMER Pondicherry - 605006
India

To the Editor,

I read with great interest the "Angiokeratoma of tongue" by Bhargava P, Bhargava S, Mathur D, Agarwal US, Bhargava R published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2001; 67:270.[1] I would like to offer some comments over this case report. I agree with the above authors regarding this a new entity and would like to bring into their kind notice publication of a similar case in Ada Dermatologica Venereologica (Stockh) by us in 1998[2] which they have not quoted in the list references in their article. Another case seen recently by us has been sent for publication in Pediatric Dermatology.

Five types of angiokeratomas have been described. They are 1) the generalized systemic type - angiokeratorna corporis diffusum of Fabry; 2) the bilateral form occurring on the dorsa of fingers and toes - angiokeratoma of Milbelli; 3) the localized scrotal form - angiokeratoma of Fordyce; 4) the solitary papular angiokeratoma and 5) the multiple popular and plaque like - angiokeratoma circumscriptum.[2] These above cases do not fit into any of the five previously described angiokeratomos. Morphologically, they were similar to angiokeratoma circumscriptum. We also have reported a unique association of angiokeratoma of tongue and scrotum first time reported in the world literature.[3]

1.	Bhargava P, Bhargava S, Mothur D, et al. Angiokeratoma of tongue. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2001; 67: 270. [Google Scholar]
2.	Kumar MV, Thappa DM, Shanmugam S, Ratnakar C. Angiokeratoma circumscriptum of the oral cavity. Acta Derm Venereal (Stockh) 1998;78:472. [Google Scholar]
3.	Karthikeyan K, Sethuraman G, Thappa DM. Angiokeratoma of the oral cavity and scrotum. J Dermatol 2000;27:131-132. [Google Scholar]