Pseudoxanthoma-Like Late-Onset Focal Dermal Elastosis

In 2005, a case study was reported of a 73-year-old woman who presented with asymptomatic, pale yellow lesions on her neck, upper trunk, and axillae, which had developed over a 10-year period. These lesions formed a cobblestone pattern and resembled pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), but skin biopsies showed an increase in structurally normal elastic fibers without evidence of PXE or solar elastosis. This condition, termed late-onset focal dermal elastosis, is an under-recognized age-related disorder characterized by focal increases in elastic fibers in the skin. The patient's clinical presentation and histological findings were consistent with this diagnosis, which is distinct from PXE and other elastotic disorders. The study suggests that late-onset focal dermal elastosis is likely due to age-related changes in the skin and may be part of a broader spectrum of age-related phenomena involving overproduction of structurally normal tissue.