Malignant acanthosis nigricans: a case report

BACKGROUND: To report a case of malignant acanthosis nigricans with two unusual aspects, including the patient’s young age and the development of filiform papillomas on the eyelid margins. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old woman presented with dry eye symptoms. Examination revealed filiform papillomas on the eyelid margins, gums, lips, hands, and axillae and excessive pigmentation localized to the neck, axillae, and groin. Biopsies of stomach, pancreatic, and thyroid lesions revealed gastric adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and thyroid cancer, respectively. Systemic investigations showed gastric adenocarcinoma with metastatic spread. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with malignant acanthosis nigricans and died 4 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Acanthosis nigricans on the eyelid margins with a velvety overgrowth is highly suggestive of an internal malignancy, and full systemic investigations are warranted in these cases. In this patient, early signs were ignored, leading to the loss of a timely diagnosis and treatment.