Keratoderma Keratoderma Marion Hilton Definition - Keratoderma of the palms and soles is a pathologic condition characterised by diffuse or localised thickening of the stratum corneum which may be part of a generalised condition or a disorder that primarily involves the hands and feet. The dominantly inherited traits tend to be less severe than the recessively inherited traits but are expressed more frequently. The clinical patterns and modes of inheritance vary from family to family with diffuse, punctate, striate and mutilating varieties being documented. Many patients do not have a clear-cut or even suggestive hereditary history therefore the cause of most of the palmoplantar keratodermas is unclear.
Lesions tend to be larger in areas subjected to trauma.
Mutilating Keratoderma - diffuse palmoplantar keratoderma usually present from infancy but may start later in life. Progressive Keratoderma - begins in infancy but thickening of the palms and soles increases in severity and extent for several years. Mal de Meleda - redness of palms and soles appears shortly after birth followed by scaling and marked acanthosis and irregular hyperkeratosis with deep pitting. Keratoderma Climactericum - aetiology unknown. The diseases can usually be distinguished from one another on the basis of a careful family history, physical examination and biopsy.