PAPULAR MUCINOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH SCLERODERMA

A 49-year-old Japanese woman had been suffering from limited cutaneous scleroderma with papular mucinosis. Papular mucinosis was characteriz ed by multiple, asymptomatic, elevated, skin-colored papules on the do rsal regions of the hands. Histopathological findings of the hard papu les showed a marked deposition of hyaluronic acid along sclerosis in t he middle and the lower parts of dermis. Serological studies revealed a positive antinuclear antibody (speckled type). Intravenous administr ation of prostaglandin E-1 derivatives reduced the size of the papules , the degree of sclerodactyly and the severity of her Raynaud's phenom enon. These observations suggest that manifestations of scleroderma co uld be found in some cases of papular mucinosis.