Seborrheic Keratosis is a skin disorder usually characterized by discolored lesions that appear to be "stuck on" the skin surface. Warts may appear and skin is often oily or greasy. These skin lesions are sometimes mistaken for cancerous growths a...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant women and tends to affect women in their mid-30s. Although only about 1 in every 1,000 pregnant women get breast cancer, the disease can be devastating to both the mother and her child -- so it i...

Introduction to Breast Cancer Recurrence Breast cancer can recur at any time, but most recurrences occur in the first three to five years after initial treatment. Breast cancer can come back as a local recurrence (in the treated breast or ...

Introduction to Breast Cancer Recurrence Breast cancer can recur at any time, but most recurrences occur in the first three to five years after initial treatment. Breast cancer can come back as a local recurrence (in the treated breast or ...

Facing a breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Your stress levels may skyrocket. You may worry about finances. And you may be asking yourself difficult questions, such as whether to write a living will. Education and supportive care can hel...

Facing a breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Your stress levels may skyrocket. You may worry about finances. And you may be asking yourself difficult questions, such as whether to write a living will. Education and supportive care can hel...

Pinta is a rare infectious tropical disease affecting the skin that is caused by the bacterium Treponema carateum, which is transmitted by direct, nonsexual contact. Pinta progresses through three distinct stages, which are characterized by variou...

Haim-Munk syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the development of red, scaly thickened patches of skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperkeratosis), frequent pus-producing (pyogenic) skin infections...

Coffin-Siris syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that may be evident at birth (congenital). The disorder may be characterized by feeding difficulties and frequent respiratory infections during infancy, diminished muscle tone (hypotonia), abnormal ...

Cradle cap causes crusty or oily scaly patches on a baby's scalp. The condition isn't painful or itchy. But it can cause thick white or yellow scales that aren't easy to remove. Cradle cap usually clears up on its own in a few months. Home...

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare form of cancer that most commonly develops in the salivary glands or other regions of the head and neck. In some cases, ACC may arise in other primary sites, such as the skin; the breast; the nec...

Cutis laxa is rarely encountered and may occur in several inherited (congenital) forms or come about in the course of another disorder (acquired). It is a connective tissue disorder characterized by skin that is loose (lax), hanging, wrinkled, and...

Cyst facts Cysts are closed sac-like or capsule structures that may be filled with semisolid material, gaseous material, or liquid. There are several causes of cysts, including genetic, infectious, and other causes that resu...

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome is an inherited disorder characterized by scaling skin (ichthyosis), mental retardation, speech abnormalities, and spasticity. Affected infants develop various degrees of reddened skin with fine scales soon after birth. Af...

Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. The newborn infant is covered with plates of thick skin that crack and split apart. The thick plates can pull at and distort facial features and can restrict breathing and eating. Harlequin inf...

Ichthyosis hystrix, Curth-Macklin type is a rare inherited skin disorder. It is characterized by scaling skin (ichthyosis) ranging from mild to severe. The patches of scaly, thickened skin range from spotty to severe, and may appear on almost any ...

Frey syndrome is a rare disorder that most often occurs as a result of surgery in the area near the parotid glands. The parotid glands are the largest salivary glands in the body located just below the ears on either side of the face. The main sym...

Dupuytren's contracture facts A Dupuytren's contracture is a localized scar tissue formation in the palm. The precise cause of a Dupuytren's contracture is not known. A Dupuytren's contracture is sometimes inheri...

Keratosis follicularis, also known as Darier disease, is a rare, genetic skin disorder. Affected individuals develop skin lesions that consist of thickened, rough bumps (papules) or plaques that may also be greasy or have a brown or yellow crust. ...

Pinta is a rare infectious tropical disease affecting the skin that is caused by the bacterium Treponema carateum, which is transmitted by direct, nonsexual contact. Pinta progresses through three distinct stages, which are characterized by variou...

Epidermolysis bullosa (ep-ih-dur-MOL-uh-sis buhl-LOE-sah) is a group of rare diseases that cause fragile, blistering skin. The blisters may appear in response to minor injury, even from heat, rubbing, scratching or adhesive tape. In severe cases, ...

Epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI) specifically refers to a hereditary skin disorder that is characterized by varying degrees of blistering and subsequent reactive scaling of the skin. The underlying histopathology shows mid-epidermal splitting and hyp...

Until recently the relationship of Stevens-Johnson syndrome to other severe blistering disorders was a matter of some debate. Now a consensus seems to be evolving that describes SJS as a rare disorder involving lesions of the mucous membranes alon...

Erythrokeratolysis hiemalis is an extremely rare form of ichthyosis that was first described in South Africa but has subsequently been identified in other countries. In such cases, a link to South Africa has been determined. The disorder is charac...

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme ferrochelatase (FECH). Due to abnormally low levels of this enzyme, excessive amounts of protoporphyrin accumulate in the bone m...

Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome is one of the RASopathies and is a rare genetic disorder is typically characterized by unusually sparse, brittle, curly hair; large head (macrocephaly); a prominent forehead and abnormal narrowing of the sides o...

Fountain syndrome is an extremely rare inherited disorder that is characterized by mental retardation; abnormal swelling of the cheeks and lips due to the excessive accumulation of body fluids under the skin (subcutaneous) of the face (edema); ske...

Fox-Fordyce disease is a rare skin disorder that primarily affects women. The disorder is characterized by intense itching especially in the underarm area, the pubic area and around the nipples. In Fox-Fordyce disease abnormalities affecting the a...

Erythrokeratodermia with ataxia (EKDA) is a hereditary disorder of the skin and nervous system (neurocutaneous syndrome) characterized by groups of hard, red plaques that develop during infancy and childhood. When these skin lesions heal, the diso...

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a genetic skin disorder characterized clinically by blister formation from mechanical trauma. There are four main types with additional sub-types identified. There is a spectrum of severity, and within each type, one ...

Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. The newborn infant is covered with plates of thick skin that crack and split apart. The thick plates can pull at and distort facial features and can restrict breathing and eating. Harlequin inf...

Alkaptonuria is a rare genetic metabolic disorder characterized by the accumulation of homogentisic acid in the body. Affected individuals lack enough functional levels of an enzyme required to breakdown homogentisic acid. Affected individuals may...

Williams syndrome, also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by growth delays before and after birth (prenatal and postnatal growth retardation), short stature, a varying degree of mental deficiency, and dist...

Hyperlipoproteinemia type III, also known as dysbetalipoproteinemia or broad beta disease, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by improper breakdown (metabolism) of certain fatty materials known as lipids, specifically cholesterol and triglyc...

Ichthyosis is a general term for a family of rare genetic skin diseases characterized by dry, thickened, scaling skin. The various forms are distinguished from one another by: 1) extent of the scaling and how widely and where the scaling is scatte...

Erythrokeratolysis hiemalis is an extremely rare form of ichthyosis that was first described in South Africa but has subsequently been identified in other countries. In such cases, a link to South Africa has been determined. The disorder is charac...

Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. The newborn infant is covered with plates of thick skin that crack and split apart. The thick plates can pull at and distort facial features and can restrict breathing and eating. Harlequin inf...

Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. The newborn infant is covered with plates of thick skin that crack and split apart. The thick plates can pull at and distort facial features and can restrict breathing and eating. Harlequin inf...

Ichthyosis hystrix, Curth-Macklin type is a rare inherited skin disorder. It is characterized by scaling skin (ichthyosis) ranging from mild to severe. The patches of scaly, thickened skin range from spotty to severe, and may appear on almost any ...

Epidermal nevus syndromes (ENSs) are a group of rare complex disorders characterized by the presence of skin lesions known as epidermal nevi associated with additional extra-cutaneous abnormalities, most often affecting the brain, eye and skeletal...

Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a rare, inherited, skin disorder that affects men predominately and is characterized by hardening of the skin (keratosis) in several parts of the body. Most frequently, the face, neck, and forea...

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome is an inherited disorder characterized by scaling skin (ichthyosis), mental retardation, speech abnormalities, and spasticity. Affected infants develop various degrees of reddened skin with fine scales soon after birth. Af...

X-linked ichthyosis is a genetic skin disorder that affects males. It is an inborn error of metabolism characterized by a deficiency of the enzyme steroid sulfatase. Under normal conditions, this enzyme breaks down (metabolizes) cholesterol sulfat...

A keloid scar forms from abnormal healing, and usually develops in people 10 to 20 years old. A keloid, or keloid scar, is a kind of overgrown scar, or an overly aggressive healing response to a wound. It's a type of thick, irregul...

Keratitis ichthyosis deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare, genetic, multi-system disorder. It is characterized by defects of the surface of the corneas (keratitis), red, rough thickened plaques of skin (erythrokeratoderma) and sensorineural deafness ...

Erythrokeratolysis hiemalis is an extremely rare form of ichthyosis that was first described in South Africa but has subsequently been identified in other countries. In such cases, a link to South Africa has been determined. The disorder is charac...

Keratosis follicularis, also known as Darier disease, is a rare, genetic skin disorder. Affected individuals develop skin lesions that consist of thickened, rough bumps (papules) or plaques that may also be greasy or have a brown or yellow crust. ...

Meleda disease is an extremely rare inherited skin disorder characterized by the slowly progressive development of dry, thick patches of skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperkeratosis). Affected skin may be unusu...

Haim-Munk syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the development of red, scaly thickened patches of skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperkeratosis), frequent pus-producing (pyogenic) skin infections...

Keratitis ichthyosis deafness (KID) syndrome is a rare, genetic, multi-system disorder. It is characterized by defects of the surface of the corneas (keratitis), red, rough thickened plaques of skin (erythrokeratoderma) and sensorineural deafness ...

Lamellar ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. In lamellar ichthyosis, the skin cells are produced at a normal rate, but they do not separate normally at the surface of the outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) and are not shed as quickl...

Lamellar ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder. In lamellar ichthyosis, the skin cells are produced at a normal rate, but they do not separate normally at the surface of the outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) and are not shed as quickl...

Leukoplakia is a condition characterized by thick, white patches that form on the mucous membranes of the mouth and sometimes the throat. These patches are caused by an overgrowth of cells and are often a result of chronic irritation or inflammati...

What is male breast cancer? Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like breast cancer in women, can...

What is male breast cancer? Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like breast cancer in women, can...

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a genetic skin disorder characterized clinically by blister formation from mechanical trauma. There are four main types with additional sub-types identified. There is a spectrum of severity, and within each type, one ...

Oral leukoplakia is a condition characterized by thick, white patches or plaques that form on the inside of the mouth, typically on the cheeks, gums, or tongue. These patches cannot be scraped off and may be rough or slightly raised. ...

Erythrokeratolysis hiemalis is an extremely rare form of ichthyosis that was first described in South Africa but has subsequently been identified in other countries. In such cases, a link to South Africa has been determined. The disorder is charac...

Erythrokeratolysis hiemalis is an extremely rare form of ichthyosis that was first described in South Africa but has subsequently been identified in other countries. In such cases, a link to South Africa has been determined. The disorder is charac...

Paget disease of the breast is a form of breast cancer that affects the skin of the nipple. The cause of Paget disease of the breast is poorly understood, but it may be related to tumor cells from other sites in the breast traveling...

Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome (PLS) is an extremely rare genetic disorder that typically becomes apparent from approximately one to five years of age. PLS is characterized by the development of dry scaly patches on the skin of the palms and the soles ...

Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome (PLS) is an extremely rare genetic disorder that typically becomes apparent from approximately one to five years of age. PLS is characterized by the development of dry scaly patches on the skin of the palms and the soles ...

Penile cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the penis. The penis is a rod-shaped male reproductive organ that passes sperm and urine from the body. It contains two types of erectile tissue (spongy ti...

Penile cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the penis. The penis is a rod-shaped male reproductive organ that passes sperm and urine from the body. It contains two types of erectile tissue (spongy ti...

Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the skin and connective tissues to become thickened and hardened. Oral scleroderma specifically refers to the involvement of the mouth and oral cavity in the disease. This can manifest as tig...

Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by abnormal thickening of the skin. Connective tissue is composed of collagen, which supports and binds other body tissues. There are several types of scleroderma. Some type...

Tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that belongs to a group of diseases known as ectodermal dysplasias. Ectodermal dysplasias typically affect the hair, teeth, nails, and/or skin. TDO syndrome is character...

Tricho-dento-osseous (TDO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that belongs to a group of diseases known as ectodermal dysplasias. Ectodermal dysplasias typically affect the hair, teeth, nails, and/or skin. TDO syndrome is character...

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type II (TRPS2), also known as Langer-Giedion syndrome, is an extremely rare inherited multisystem disorder. TRPS2 is characterized by fine, thin hair; unusual facial features; progressive growth retardation resultin...

Verrucous carcinoma is a rare type of slow-growing, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma that typically affects the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, larynx, and genital area. It is characterized by a warty or cauliflower-like appearance...

In ichthyosis vulgaris, the skin cells are produced at a normal rate, but they do not shed normally at the surface of the outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) and are not shed as quickly as they should be. The result is a build-up of scale. F...

Williams syndrome, also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by growth delays before and after birth (prenatal and postnatal growth retardation), short stature, a varying degree of mental deficiency, and dist...

Williams syndrome, also known as Williams-Beuren syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by growth delays before and after birth (prenatal and postnatal growth retardation), short stature, a varying degree of mental deficiency, and dist...

Yeast infection, also known as candidiasis, is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of the Candida fungus. It can occur in various parts of the body, including the mouth, throat, skin, and genital area. Symptoms of yeast infection may includ...