The appearance of dark, velvety skin around the armpits, called acanthosis nigricans, has a number of causes. Acanthosis nigricans can be a normal finding, particularly in dark-skinned people, but can also occur in conjunction with a number of diseases. Acanthosis nigricans can occur at any age.
Symptoms
Acanthosis nigricans appears more often around the neck in children, Dr. Steven Higgins of Duke University reports in the September 2008 issue of Dermatology Online Journal. Acanthosis nigricans can also affect the groin, skin creases, back of the hands, palms, lips, soles of the feet and eyelids.
Causes
Acanthosis nigricans can be genetic or can occur as a result of obesity. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, caused by the body's inability to use insulin properly, are commonly associated with acanthosis nigricans. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, which can occur in metabolic syndrome, show signs of acanthosis nigricans in between 5 percent and 33 percent of cases, Higgins states. Medications such as oral contraceptives and niacin can also cause the disorder. Certain types of cancer such as lymphoma or cancers of the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts can also cause acanthosis nigricans.
Complications
Acanthosis nigricans can signal development of serious health problems. Metabolic syndrome, which affects as many as 34 percent of U.S. adults, according to Higgins, describes a constellation of symptoms including insulin resistance, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels and often diabetes. Metabolic syndrome can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes if not treated. Because the disorder can also occur in people with certain cancers, the sudden appearance of acanthosis nigricans warrants a visit to your medical practitioner.
Diagnosis
Usually making the diagnosis requires nothing more than examination of your skin. Occasionally a biopsy, removal of a piece of skin for examination under the microscope, may be necessary. If the cause isn't evident, tests for cancer and blood tests for diabetes might also become necessary, the University of Maryland Medical Center's website reports.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause. If obesity or metabolic syndrome is present, weight loss, an increase in exercise level and decreasing saturated fats in your diet helps decrease the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Cancers require treatment. Acanthosis nigricans might fade if the underlying cause is treated.
Member Comments