MID-DERMAL ELASTOLYSIS AND ANNULAR ELASTO LYTIC GIANT-CELL GRANULOMA - DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE CLINICAL SPECTRUM OF DERMAL ELASTOLYSIS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

In recent years there has been increased interest in diseases showing degeneration of dermal elastic tissue. Mid dermal elastolysis is a rar e dermatosis, which is histopathologically characterized by mid dermal loss of elastic tissue. Both papular and patchy forms, as well as inf lammatory and noninflammatory variants, have been described. A 70-year -old woman had annular patches. In their center the clinical and histo pathological findings suggested non-inflammatory mid dermal elastolysi s whereas the red and slightly elevated margins showed clinical and hi stopathological features of annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma. Based on our case and a review of the literature, we discuss the diffe rential diagnosis of dermal elastolysis and hypothesize that a number of lesions histologically showing mid dermal elastolysis may represent different inflammatory or non-inflammatory stages of one disease whic h may overlap or change from one form into another.