| Specialty: | Dermatology |
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.
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]