A 60-year-old man develops violaceous, scaly, psoriasiform plaques on the helices of the ears, tip of the nose, and dorsal aspects of several fingers, followed later by nail dystrophy. Chest imaging reveals a mass lesion. Which paraneoplastic dermatosis is described?

• A Erythema nodosum
• B Sweet syndrome
• C Acrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex ✓
• D Pyoderma gangrenosum

Explanation

Bazex syndrome is a paraneoplastic acral keratosis affecting ears, nose, nails, and digits, almost always signalling squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract or metastatic cervical nodes; it improves when the tumour is treated. Sweet syndrome and pyoderma gangrenosum favour haematologic and inflammatory associations respectively, and erythema nodosum presents as tender nodules on shins, not acral psoriasiform plaques.

Reference: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology, 9th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.