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Eruptive vellus hair cysts (or EVHC) are small
lesion A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by injury or diseases. The term ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin meaning "injury". Lesions may occur in both plants and animals. Types There is no de ...
s that occur most often in the
chest wall The thoracic wall or chest wall is the boundary of the thoracic cavity. Structure The bony skeletal part of the thoracic wall is the rib cage, and the rest is made up of muscle, skin, and fasciae. The chest wall has 10 layers, namely (from ...
,
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...
and extremities, often with a crusted surface. EVHC may occur randomly, or it can be inherited as an
autosomal dominant In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the Phenotype, effect of a different variant of the same gene on Homologous chromosome, the other copy of the chromosome. The firs ...
trait; sporadic cases usually appear at 4–18 years of age. The cysts appear similar clinically to
steatocystoma multiplex Steatocystoma multiplex is a benign, autosomal dominant congenital condition resulting in multiple cysts on a person's body. Steatocystoma simplex is the solitary counterpart to steatocystoma multiplex. In steatocystoma multiplex, the tendency to ...
, as well as
acneiform eruption Acneiform eruptions, or acne mimicking eruptions, are a group of skin conditions characterized by small bumps resembling acne. Typically, these bumps are mostly of similar size. Some bumps may be bigger or contain fluid. Generally, blackheads ...
s and milia. Histopathology is the basis of diagnosis.
Retinoid The retinoids are a class of chemical compounds that are natural derivatives of vitamin A or are chemically related to it. Synthetic retinoids are utilized in cosmetic formulations, clinical dermatology, and the treatment of some forms of cancer ...
s, surgery, and lasers are used as treatment modalities.


Signs/symptoms

Eruptive vellus hair cysts are small
lesion A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by injury or diseases. The term ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin meaning "injury". Lesions may occur in both plants and animals. Types There is no de ...
s that occur most often in the
chest wall The thoracic wall or chest wall is the boundary of the thoracic cavity. Structure The bony skeletal part of the thoracic wall is the rib cage, and the rest is made up of muscle, skin, and fasciae. The chest wall has 10 layers, namely (from ...
,
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...
and extremities, often with a crusted surface. It was first described in 1977. The cysts appear similar clinically to
steatocystoma multiplex Steatocystoma multiplex is a benign, autosomal dominant congenital condition resulting in multiple cysts on a person's body. Steatocystoma simplex is the solitary counterpart to steatocystoma multiplex. In steatocystoma multiplex, the tendency to ...
, as well as
acneiform eruption Acneiform eruptions, or acne mimicking eruptions, are a group of skin conditions characterized by small bumps resembling acne. Typically, these bumps are mostly of similar size. Some bumps may be bigger or contain fluid. Generally, blackheads ...
s and milia.


Cause

EVHC may occur randomly, or it can be inherited as an
autosomal dominant In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the Phenotype, effect of a different variant of the same gene on Homologous chromosome, the other copy of the chromosome. The firs ...
trait. The condition affects males and females equally, and sporadic cases usually appear at 4–18 years of age.


Diagnosis

Histopathology is the basis of diagnosis. Stratified-squamous epithelium with a granular layer that surrounding a cystic space filled with laminated keratin and a variable number of vellus hair cysts is seen to be present. It can be difficult to distinguish from other skin conditions, including molluscum contagiosum and acne vulgaris but can be corroborated with histopathology.


Associations

It can be associated with
Steatocystoma multiplex Steatocystoma multiplex is a benign, autosomal dominant congenital condition resulting in multiple cysts on a person's body. Steatocystoma simplex is the solitary counterpart to steatocystoma multiplex. In steatocystoma multiplex, the tendency to ...
.


Treatment

Therapeutic techniques that are safe and effective are rare, with incision and drainage being the primary form of treatment when sporadic regression does not occur. The primary indication for treatment is cosmesis.
Retinoid The retinoids are a class of chemical compounds that are natural derivatives of vitamin A or are chemically related to it. Synthetic retinoids are utilized in cosmetic formulations, clinical dermatology, and the treatment of some forms of cancer ...
s, surgery, and lasers are used as treatment modalities.


See also

* Steatocystoma simplex * Milia *
List of cutaneous conditions Many skin conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the Human body, body and composed of Human skin, skin, hair, Nail (anatomy), nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function o ...


References


Further reading

* {{Disorders of skin appendages Epidermal nevi, neoplasms, and cysts