Disseminated superficial porokeratosis after autologous bone marrow transplantation

Abstract

A case of disseminated superficial porokeratosis (DSP) is reported in a black man 5 years after autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Porokeratosis is a rare hyperkeratotic disorder arising from clonal keratinocytes with a high potential to develop squamous cell carcinoma. Inherited forms are classical but recent observations of acquired porokeratosis have been reported in immunocompromized patients (AIDS, immune disorders, immune suppressive drugs or organ transplantation). Two cases of DSP have been reported after allogeneic BMT in patients treated for chronic GVHD. Our case is the first one after autologous BMT, in a black man, on no immunosuppressive drug at the time of diagnosis of DSP. Hematopoietic and immune reconstitution was apparently complete. The cancer-prone character of porokeratosis could be favored by total body irradiation used in conditioning regimen. Thus, porokeratosis has to be associated with other late effects after BMT such as HCV seropositivity, cataract and infertility that were observed in this patient.