[Multiple cutaneous osteomas of the face in a setting of chronic acne]

Abstract

Background: Multiple cutaneous osteomas are a rare complication of chronic inflammatory acne that often goes unrecognized. We report a case concerning a 35-year-old woman.

Patients and methods: A 35-year-old woman had been treated for acne since the age of 22 years, as part of which she received two courses of oral isotretinoin. We noted the secondary appearance of several microcysts on the face for which the excision was very difficult. Curiously, these small formations did not contain keratin but were very callous. Histological examination revealed foci of osseous metaplasia, probably of postinflammatory origin. Treatment consisted solely of excision of the lesions.

Discussion: Osteoma cutis comprises two distinct groups (primary and secondary). In our case, there were multiple cutaneous osteomas of the face resulting from chronic acne. The differential diagnosis was idiopathic miliary osteomatosis of the face, but this was ruled out by the young age of the patient, the improvement of the acneiform lesions under isotretinoin (confirming the initial diagnosis of acne) and the subsequent appearance of microcysts. Although there are as yet no codified treatments, excision appears to yield good results.