Photo Rounds

Growths in abdominal folds

A 52-year-old morbidly obese woman sought care from her family physician (FP) for growths in the folds of her abdomen that had been there for 4 months. She denied any other skin lesions, but said she frequently got rashes in the same area. The patient said she hadn’t had sexual relations in more than 10 years. She had a history of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. She was started on insulin 5 months ago.

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While the lesions appeared verrucous and cauliflower-like, this seemed an unusual place for condyloma. So the FP performed a shave biopsy out of concern that this could be a benign tumor. The results came back as human papillomavirus (HPV)-related condyloma.

In addition to the growths that were seen under the pannus, there was also intertrigo in that area. Intertrigo is a nonspecific term for a rash in an intertriginous area. Erythema seen between skin folds is the tip-off to intertrigo. The most common causes of intertrigo are fungal infections and irritation that come from sweating and the rubbing together of skin. Another cause of an erythematous rash in an intertriginous area is inverse psoriasis.

The FP performed a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation by scraping the erythematous area with a microscope slide and looking at the specimen under the microscope. The KOH was negative and the diagnosis was determined to be nonspecific intertrigo related to obesity. The FP told the patient to try to keep the area dry and to try some over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream for the inflammation and irritation.

Pannus condylomas are uncommon—but not rare—in this age of increasing obesity. While they are secondary to HPV, they are not necessarily sexually transmitted HPV types. Based on the patient’s sexual history, the FP did not recommend screening for sexually transmitted infections.

On the initial visit, the FP counseled the patient about the importance of weight loss for good health and hygiene. The patient chose cryotherapy for treatment of the growths. While the patient held the pannus up, the FP sprayed the condyloma with liquid nitrogen using a cryo-gun. The patient chose to have a second freeze-thaw cycle and was scheduled for a follow-up visit in 3 to 4 weeks.

Photos and text for Photo Rounds Friday courtesy of Richard P. Usatine, MD. This case was adapted from: Mayeaux EJ, Usatine R. Genital warts. In: Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013:759-765.

To learn more about the Color Atlas of Family Medicine, see: www.amazon.com/Color-Family-Medicine-Richard-Usatine/dp/0071769641/

You can now get the second edition of the Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app by clicking on this link: usatinemedia.com

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