What features are diagnostic of acanthosis nigricans______________?
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Answer: B. Insulin resistance, obesity, cutaneous hyperpigmentation
Explanation
Acanthosis nigricans is clinically characterized by velvety hyperpigmented skin plaques. The skin changes are strongly associated with underlying insulin resistance and obesity. Epidermal thickening accounts for the velvety texture observed in affected body folds. Hyperinsulinemia stimulates keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation in the epidermis. Common anatomical sites include the neck folds, axillae, and groin regions. The condition can also serve as an cutaneous marker for internal visceral malignancies.
Primary care physicians screen patients for type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Weight loss and improving insulin sensitivity help reduce skin hyperpigmentation severity. Dermatologists evaluate atypical presentations to rule out underlying paraneoplastic syndromes. Cutaneous hypopigmentation contradicts the hyperpigmentation characteristic of the condition. Lean individuals rarely present with this classic insulin-resistant metabolic variant. Focusing only on spinous layer thickening omits the vital metabolic obesity components.
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