| Tripe palms | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| Causes | Paraneoplastic syndrome [1] |
| Diagnostic method | Appearance [1] |
| Frequency | Rare [1] |
Tripe palms, also known as acanthosis palmaris, is a medical sign characterized by thick ridged velvety palms, typically as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome. [1] It resembles the lining of the stomach of some animals (tripe). [2] Other signs that may be noted at the same time include most frequently acanthosis nigricans (AN), and less commonly finger clubbing and Leser-Trélat sign. [2]
The sign is rare. [3]
Tripe palms appear as thick ridged velvety palms, typically as part of a paraneoplastic syndrome. [1]
How it occurs is unclear. [3] More than 90% of individuals with the sign have a cancer. [1] [2] In some, both tripe palms and AN appear together before the cancer is diagnosed. [3] Lung cancer is more frequent if the tripe palms present alone, whereas cancer of the stomach is more frequent when AN is also present. [1] The sign has also been associated with bullous pemphigoid, psoriasis, and exfoliative dermatitis. [2] It is believed that growth factors secreted by cancer cells cause some skin cells to grow. [3]
Diagnosis is by its appearance and a biopsy is generally not helpful. [2] Other conditions that may appear similar include acromegaly, acrokeratosis paraneoplastica, hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, idiopathic hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, palmoplantar keratoderma, and acropachy. [2] Tripe palms may improve with treatment of the underlying cancer. [3]
The sign is rare. [3] There are around 100 reported cases worldwide. [2]
The term was first coined by Jacqueline Clarke in 1977. [4] [5]