Pigmented macules on the palms and/or soles of Japanese subjects: influences of clinical severity and duration of illness.

We have suggested that pigmented macules on the palms and/or soles occur in response to various systemic diseases. In the present paper, we evaluated the influences of clinical severity and duration of illness in Japanese subjects. In males, cases who suffered from cerebral vascular accident (CVA) for long periods and/or severely tended to have numerous pigmented macules. In females, cases with CVA did not show any similar tendency. As the result of our prior and present studies, we conclude that underlying systemic disease itself can play a pivotal role in the development of pigmented macules on the palms and/or soles of Japanese subjects. We emphasize that such a pigmented macular eruption with characteristic clinical features is an important sign of internal disorders, including malignancy.