9th June 2025

Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis nigricans presents with areas of hyperpigmentation which have a velvety consistency typically around the skin flexures e.g., axilla.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons (2020). Acanthosis Nigricans, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acanthosis_nigricans.jpg (Accessed 23 May 2025).

Acanthosis nigricans is associated with the following conditions:

• Obesity 
• Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus 
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Acromegaly 
• Cushing’s syndrome 
• Gastric malignancy 
• Lymphoma

Management

These lesions usually resolve with condition resolution. Active management with topical agents such as ammonium hydrate and vitamin D analogues are usually only required when this does not occur or when there are cosmetic difficulties.