TUMOR-RELATED CUTANEOUS ELASTOPHAGOCYTOSIS

Dermal granulomatous inflammation was identified immediately adjacent to seven (77%) of nine atypical fibroxanthomas arising in sun damaged skin. Concomitant elastophagocytosis was observed in five (56%) of the se seven patients. Similar inflammation with elastophagocytosis was fo und in association with only two (6%) of 36 epithelial tumours arising on the same background (10 basal and 10 squamous cell carcinomas, 10 nodular malignant melanomas, and six keratoacanthomas). Granulomatous inflammation is an unusual dermal reaction to tumour and elastophagocy tosis is rare. The fact that both of these features occur with inordin ate frequency in association with atypical fibroxanthomas, when compar ed with other, more common skin tumours, suggests that atypical fibrox anthomas might modulate the inflammatory response, either passively, b y its dermal location, or actively, by secreting locally effective cyt okines.