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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Acanthosis nigricans (ak-an-THOE-sis NIE-grih-kuns) is a skin condition characterized by dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and creases. Most often, acanthosis nigricans affects your armpits, groin and neck.
With acanthosis nigricans, you may naturally be concerned about the appearance of your skin. Some steps may help lighten the affected areas of your skin. There's no specific treatment for acanthosis nigricans — but treating any underlying conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, may cause the changes in your skin to fade.
- DeWitt CA, et al. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignant disease: Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2961164. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Metabolic and inherited diseases affecting the skin. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Cutaneous manifestations of internal disease. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0160&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0180&uniq=178031830&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=938193257#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--st0155%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-0-7234-3541-9%3Btype%3DbookPage. Accessed Jan.10, 2010.
- Reynolds RV. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Acanthosis nigricans. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/acanthosis_nigrica.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010
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