Erythema gyratum repens and acquired ichthyosis associated with transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney

Both erythema gyratum repens (EGR) and acquired ichthyosis are distinctive dermatoses which have strong associations with internal malignancy. EGR usu ally precedes the diagnosis of malignancy whereas acquired ichthyosis commo nly manifests after the detection of malignancy. We report a patient who In itially presented with a figurate eruption of EGR which later developed int o a widespread ichthyosis with disappearance of the serpiginous rash. Furth er investigations revealed an underlying transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney, an association which has not previously been reported with either EGR or acquired ichthyosis. The occurrence of two paraneoplastic skin disor ders in the same patient may be explained by tumour cell secretion of trans forming growth factor alpha, which has been shown to be mitogenic for kerat inocytes.