Acanthosis Nigricans around neck - can a Nutritionist fix this condition?
History of AN?
Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is characterized by an asymptomatic area of darkening and thickening of the skin, occasionally with pruritus; lesions begin as hyperpigmented macules and patches and progress to symmetric, hyperpigmented, and velvety plaques with ill-defined borders, typically involving intertriginous areas.
Addison may have seen a case of acanthosis nigricans (AN) before 1885 & misdiagnosed it as Addison disease, but the first documented case of AN was in 1889 in Germany, by Unna and Pollitzer.
By 1909, AN had been described in approximately 50 patients and was suspected to be associated with internal malignancy. In 1976, Kahn et al published their landmark study in which the association between AN and insulin resistance was first described.
In 2000, the American Diabetes Association established AN as a formal risk factor for the development of diabetes in children.
Nine types of AN have been described - and it's always best to know which type you can treat through Nutrition:
Obesity-associated acanthosis nigricans:
Lesions may appear at any age but are more common in adulthood. The dermatosis is weight-dependent, and lesions may completely regress with weight reduction. Insulin resistance is often present in these patients but is not universal.Syndromic acanthosis nigricans:
AN has been associated with HAIR-AN syndrome and type B syndromes.Acral acanthosis nigricans:
Acral AN is most common in dark-skinned individuals, especially those of African American or sub-Saharan African descent. The hyperkeratotic velvety lesions are most prominent over the dorsal aspects of the hands and feet, with knuckle hyperpigmentation often most prominent.
4. Unilateral acanthosis nigricans:
Unilateral AN, sometimes referred to as nevoid AN, is believed to be inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Lesions are unilateral in distribution and may become evident during infancy, childhood, or adulthood.
Generalized acanthosis nigricans:
Generalized AN is rare and has been reported in pediatric patients without underlying systemic disease or malignancy.Familial acanthosis nigricans:
Familial AN is a rare genodermatosis that seems to be transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion with variable phenotypic penetrance. Familial AN often progresses until puberty, at which time it stabilizes or regresses.
Drug-induced acanthosis nigricans:
Drug-induced AN, may be induced by several medications, including nicotinic acid, insulin, pituitary extract, systemic corticosteroids, and diethylstilbestrol. The lesions of AN may regress once the offending medication has been discontinued.
Malignant acanthosis nigricans:
Malignant AN, which is associated with internal malignancy, is the most worrisome of the AN variants because the underlying neoplasm is often an aggressive cancer.
