Histopathologic Findings of Cutaneous Hyperpigmentation in Addison's Disease and Immunostain of the Melanocytic Population
cutaneous hyperpigmentation Addison disease female pattern alopecia basal melanin hyperpigmentation melanophages papillary dermis lipofuscin eccrine glands Perls-positive pigment macrophages melanocyte/keratinocyte ratio skin darkening Addison's disease female hair loss melanin skin cells sweat glands iron pigment immune cells skin cell ratio
TLDR The study found increased skin pigmentation and variable melanocyte density in a patient with Addison's disease.
The study reported on the histopathological features of cutaneous hyperpigmentation in a 77-year-old woman with Addison disease, senile purpura, and female pattern alopecia. The biopsies from her arm and thigh revealed basal melanin hyperpigmentation and a mild presence of melanophages in the papillary dermis, without significant dermal inflammatory infiltrate. Additionally, lipofuscin was found in the eccrine glands, and Perls-positive pigment was observed in macrophages, likely due to senile purpura. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a melanocyte/keratinocyte ratio of 1:20 in the arm and less than 1:50 in the thigh.
