Anemia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anemia, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, diet, treatment, causes.

A case of colloid milium in patient with beta thalassaemia major.

Giordano G, Ricci R, Froio E, Izzi G, Barone A, Boccaletti V

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Section, Parma University, Parma, Italy. giovanna.giordano@unipr.it

Colloid milium (CM) is a rare cutaneous condition characterized by translucent papules occurring on sun-exposed regions including the face, neck and dorsal aspects of the hands and back. Clinically, there are two variants of CM: an adult-onset type and a juvenile form. The juvenile form is inherited and presents before puberty. Probably this variant is because of an inherited susceptibility to ultraviolet (UV) light and can be transmitted as both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant character. In this paper, we report an interesting case of adult CM in a transfused patient affected by beta thalassaemia major. The association of CM with beta thalassaemia, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously, in literature. Thus, this case represents the first case of CM associated with beta thalassaemia major. In our view, the lesion could be related to excess iron, similar to pseudoxanthoma elastic-like lesions, another cutaneous disorder which is present in beta thalassaemia. As our patient is a farmer and was exposed to sun during his work, UV light damage could have have a role in promoting the development of the disease. Other cases of CM associated with beta thalassaemia should be reported to confirm these hypotheses.

Published 9 May 2008 in J Cutan Pathol, 35(6): 566-9.
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