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Anetoderma - Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

What is Anetoderma ?

Anetoderma is a focal loss of elastic fibres forming areas of soft, thin, wrinkled skin, sometimes with patches that bulge out slightly like pouches. It may be primary due to inflammatory effects, or it may be secondary to syphilis, leprosy, or tuberculosis. Anetoderma is an uncommon skin disease which may affect people of all ages. It can occur at any point of time and can be dangerous. This diseases is not contagious.

Other names are macular atrophy, dermatitis atrophicans maculosa, atrophia cutis, atrophoderma maculatum.

Causes of Anetoderma

The exact cause of anetoderma is not clear.
Imbalance between metalloproteinases and inhibitors of metalloproteinases in affected skin, leading to degradation of elastic tissue.
It is caused by the unusual production of elastin due to agents like drugs, genetic mutation etc.
Another cause may be immunological abnormalities.
Antiphospholipid antibodies may lead to anetoderma.

What are the symptoms of Anetoderma ?

Spots of small asymptomatic erythematous macules or urticarial wheals that may grow large in few weeks on upper arms, thighs, trunks etc.
It appears sporadically.
Atrophic papules may also appear.
Effect may be seen on area of inflammatory dermatoses.
It leads to loss of normal elastic tissue.

Anetoderma Treatment

Some medication such as Phenytoin, Dapsone, penicillin G, aspirin are used to treat this disease but no effective drug is available to cure the anetoderma.Vitamin E is also known to cure this disease. You can also include vitamin E in your daily diet.

Epsilon amino caproic acid and oral colchicine may stop the production of new lesions.

Surgical treatment is useful when lesions are small and less in numbers.

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