Glucagonoma syndrome and necrolytic migratory erythema

Necrolytic migratory erythema is a cutaneous paraneoplastic manifestation, which is usually associated with a glucagon-secreting pancreatic tumor. Clues to the diagnosis are the anatomic distribution (perioral, acral, and genital), the waxing and waning course, the figurate migratory lesions with advancing scaling-borders, and the distinctive histopathologic pattern with pale, vacuolated keratinocytes in the upper epidermis. Necrolytic migratory erythema heals once the glucagonoma has been surgically removed, but in 50% of these cases metastasis exists at the moment of the diagnosis. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.