Clear cell acanthoma
title: "Clear cell acanthoma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["epidermal-nevi,-neoplasms,-and-cysts"] topic_path: "general/epidermal-nevi-neoplasms-and-cysts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clear_cell_acanthoma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox medical condition (new)"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | SkinTumors-P5280038.JPG |
| caption | Clear cell acanthoma (Degos) |
| specialty | |
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| name = | synonym = | image = SkinTumors-P5280038.JPG | image_size = | alt = | caption = Clear cell acanthoma (Degos) | pronounce = | specialty = | symptoms = | complications = | onset = | duration = | types = | causes = | risks = | diagnosis = | differential = | prevention = | treatment = | medication = | prognosis = | frequency = | deaths =
Clear cell acanthoma (also known as Acanthome cellules claires of Degos and Civatte, Degos acanthoma, and Pale cell acanthoma) is a benign clinical and histological lesion initially described as neoplastic, which some authors now regard as a reactive dermatosis. It usually presents as a moist solitary firm, brown-red, well-circumscribed, 5 mm to 2 cm nodule or plaque on the lower extremities of middle-aged to elderly individuals. The lesion has a crusted, scaly peripheral collarette and vascular puncta on the surface; in dermoscopy this looks like "a string of pearls". It is characterized by slow growth, and may persist for years. The clinical differential diagnosis includes: dermatofibroma, inflamed seborrheic keratosis, pyogenic granuloma, basal-cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, verruca vulgaris, psoriatic plaque, and melanoma.
Histology
Clear cell acanthoma is characterized by a sharply demarcated psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia composed of a proliferation of slightly enlarged keratinocytes, and basal cells with pale-staining glycogen-rich cytoplasm, mild spongiosis and scattered neutrophils, which may form small intraepidermal microabscesses. Oedematous dermal papillae are typically seen with increased vascularity and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate including lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils.
Treatment
Simple surgical excision is curative.
References
References
- Tiodorovic-Zivkovic, D. (2015). "Dermoscopy of clear cell acanthoma". J Am Acad Dermatol..
- Odom, Richard B.. (2006). "Andrews' diseases of the skin: clinical dermatology". Saunders Elsevier.
- Freedberg, et al. (2003). ''Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine''. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. {{ISBN. 0-07-138076-0.
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