Self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis

Abstract

Patient: Male, 12

Final Diagnosis: Self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis

Symptoms: Facial edema • nodular skin lesion

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: None

Specialty: Pediatrics and Neonatology

Objective: Rare disease

Background: Self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis (SHJCM) is a rarely diagnosed disease worldwide, with less than 20 reported cases in the literature. It is characterized by a rather benign course in juvenile patients with nodular and mucinous skin eruption and edema.

Case Report: A 12-year-old male patient previously healthy presented to the pediatrics clinic with a 1-week history of bilateral palmer pruritus and plantar tenderness upon walking, preceded by eruption of erythematous patch on his neck. The disease course evolved to include facial edema, erythema, nodular skin eruptions with a completely negative initial workup. The patient was labelled as a juvenile idiopathic arthritis patient and doomed to be a candidate for corticosteroid therapy. Upon further workup, a skin biopsy was taken and SHJCM was diagnosed. Complete resolution of symptoms was witnessed on symptomatic treatment after 5 months of diagnosis.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the second case of SHJCM reported in the Middle East and the first to be reported in Lebanon. It is also the first case reported to have the longest follow-up period; 10 years of follow-up with no new findings or relapse. SHJCM is a rare disease whereby awareness of its features and presentation may help in diagnosing it and preventing unnecessary testing and aggressive treatment for a rather benign disease.