Finger pebbles in a diabetic patient: Huntley's papules

Abstract

A 60‐year‐old obese man was referred to our department from the internal medicine unit. He had a 20‐year history of poorly controlled diabetes (no other cases in the family), and was admitted to hospital because of respiratory and consequent heart failure. Skin examination showed diffuse xerosis and a rough, sandpaper‐like appearance of the skin of the finger, of approximately 15 years’ duration, consisting of multiple, minute, hyperkeratotic papules grouped in a miniature “cobblestone” pattern on the dorsum of the distal phalanges ( Fig. 1 ), more dense over the knuckles and the interphalangeal joints. No pruritus was present. Pebbly pattern of the skin on the dorsum of the second digit image He was a pensioner, who had been physically inactive for months previously, and this condition had occurred progressively in the absence of any known trauma. No other cutaneous manifestations were evident. Histologic examination was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining of a biopsy specimen taken from the left second finger; it displayed a hyperorthokeratotic epidermis with enlarged dermal papillae, thickened and vertically oriented collagen bundles, few elastic fibers, and a mild perivascular inflammatory infiltrate ( Fig. 2 ). Histologic view of a biopsy specimen of the skin of the finger: the epidermis is hyperkeratotic, the dermal papillae are enlarged and there are thickened vertical collagen bundles, elastic fibers, and a mild perivascular inflammatory infiltrate (hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, ×100) image