Favre-Racouchot syndrome; nodular cutaneous elastosis with cysts & comedones

Introduction

named after the French dermatologist Maurice Favre & his student Jean Racoucho

Etiology

• chronic sun exposure
• heavy smoking
• radiation therapy (rare)

Pathology

• multiple open & closed comedones in the presence of actinically damaged skin
• limited to the skin
• no internal manifestations occur

Clinical manifestations

• multiple open & closed comedones with yellowish nodules of elastotic material in a middle-aged to elderly individual with actinic damage
• distribution
  • sun-exposed skin, especially under distribution lateral of the eyes

Differential diagnosis

• acne vulgaris
• colloid milium
• sebaceous hyperplasia
• syringoma
• trichoepithelioma

Management

• sun protection
  • sunscreen
  • avoid sun exposure, especially between 10:00 am & 2:00 pm
• topical retinoids including tretinoin, adapalene, or tazarotene may loosen comedones & assist in the extraction of individual comedones

More general terms

• sebaceous gland disease
• syndrome