Dermatopathology

Epidermal Nevus

Epidermal nevi are benign, hamartomatous growths that are identified at birth or during early childhood. Most lesions are sporadic, occurring at a similar frequency in males and females and appearing on the extremities and trunk. Histologically, they are characterized by acanthosis, papillomatosis and hyperkeratosis.

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Slide 1: 50 year-old man with a linear plaque on his posterior neck. The bisected excision specimen shows a verrucous and papillomatous epidermal hyperplasia.

Slide 2: There is a supervening lymphocytic infiltrate present within the superficial dermis.

Slide 3: In areas the morphology is somewhat reminiscent of a reticulated seborrheic keratosis.

Slide 4: Other foci have a morphology that recapitulates a wart. Overall the findings are compatible with an epidermal nevus. Hamartomatous features as one might expect in a nevus sebaceus are not seen.