Hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita (HLA) is an acquired condition most of ten associated with medication use and endocrine or metabolic disorders. The association of HLA with malignancy has been also noted. Here in we report a case of HLA revealing a lung carcinoma.
A 69-year-old patient, an active chronic smoker, consulted for hypertrichosis evolving for 9 months. The clinical examination found diffuse lanugo hair, on the face and the neck (Figure 1). The rest of the exam was unremarkable. In addition, patient complained of concomitant onset of asthenia, dyspnoea, and weight loss amounting to 10 kg in 4 months.
The clinical examination allowed the diagnosis of acquired lanuginous hypertrichosis, which led to the search for an underlying neoplasia. The dosage of tumor markers revealed an elevation of ACE and CYFRA 21. Chest CT revealed a suspicious lung tumor histologically labeled squamous cell carcinoma of right lung. The patient died one month after the discovery of her neoplasia.
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Figure 1: Diffuse lanugo hair, on the face and the neck.