A case of Favre-Racouchot syndrome treated with retinoic acid and surgical excision

Abstract

Favre-Racouchot syndrome is a disease of senile or actinic processes and another name is nodular elastosis with cysts and comedones. Clinically, facial skin shows, especially lateral to the eyes, multiple open and cystically dilatated comedones and can be defined as cutaneous disturbances characterized by a degenerative process of the dermis associated with cysts and comedones. Sunlight is a strong causative factor and dermal degenerative processes result in this condition. We report the case of a 78-year-old man who showed multiple yellowish papules on both sides of cheeks, the periorbital and, malar areas. He had had this condition for 25-years. His job used to involve physical labor and much exposure to sunlight. An excisional biopsy specimen from the facial malar lesion showed cystically dilated comedones with basophilically degenerated dermal tissue. We performed a therapeutic excision on the two large nodular lesions on both malar areas and applied topical tretinoin. The Patient's clinical appearance was much improved 2 months later.