Generalized granuloma annulare presenting with lesions resembling eruptive xanthoma

Abstract

Generalized granuloma annulare (GGA) and eruptive xanthoma are dermatological diseases that occasionally share some clinical and histological similarities. Associated underlying medical conditions and clinical course are essential guides to the proper diagnosis. The authors reported a case of disseminated yellowish-red papules in a 24-year-old female with high levels of serum fasting blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol. The provisional diagnosis was eruptive xanthoma but histopathology and immunoperoxidase study revealed granuloma annulare. The remission of the skin lesions soon after control of dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus is not typical for the usual GGA, which has a chronic relapsing course and a poor response to treatment. Further studies are required to differentiate these two entities when they come into the clinicopathological mimicry.