A retrospective study on the clinical features of skin lesions in Chinese acquired digital fibrokeratoma patients

Abstract

Background: Acquired digital fibrokeratoma (ADFK) is an uncommon benign fibro-epithelioma, which is rarely reported in China.

Aims: To analysis the clinical features of ADFK in Chinese people from current cases.

Methods: From December 2019 to October 2021, there were 21 patients diagnosed with ADFK, we made a retrospective analysis on the clinical features of skin lesions in them. To summarize the clinical morphology, location, and surgical follow-up of ADFK.

Results: We concluded that ADFK is more common in females than males on the hands (7:3), while the male-to-female ratio is largely the same in feet (6:5). It occurs more frequently on the third finger (60%) and first toe (45.5%). As to clinical morphology, it is typically rod-shaped (52.4%), followed by dome-shaped (42.8%) and wart-shaped (4.8%). It is typically dome-shaped on the hands (80%) and rod-shaped on the feet (81.8%). In terms of location on the fingers (toes), such skin lesions are most common at the proximal nail fold (52.4%), which can also occur at the nail matrix (14.3%), periungual area (23.8%), and subungual area (9.5%). Nevertheless, this ratio also varies on the hands and feet. All patients got surgical excision of the skin lesion, who were followed up for 6-12 months, without recurrence.

Conclusions: Most ADFKs are associated with trauma, whose clinical features are related to location and gender. ADFKs on the hands are different from those on the feet regarding clinical morphology and location on fingers (toes), and surgery is effective in treating this condition.

Keywords: acquired digital fibrokeratoma; nail diseases; nail surgery.