Erythema gyratum repens is a rare paraneoplastic type of annular erythema with a distinctive figurate ‘wood-grain’ appearance. It has a strong association with malignancy. Erythema gyratum repens (EGR), first described by Gammel, 1 in 1952, is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome typically associated with an underlying malignancy.

Context Explanation

The most common include lung carcinoma, oesophageal carcinoma and breast carcinoma. 2 Erythema gyratum repens characteristically presents as wavy red lines on the skin. [1] These regular whirly rings rapidly and repetitively appear within existing ones, expanding outward at a rate of up to 1 cm a day, giving the impression that the rash is moving. [3] Erythema gyratum repens is a significant sign of systemic pathology in dermatology.

Insight Material

While alarming in appearance, its distinctive wood-grain rings are ultimately a benign skin process – yet one that often heralds a malignancy or other serious condition beneath the surface. Erythema gyratum repens is defined as a paraneoplastic figurate erythema characterized by gyrate red plaques that can advance their edges by up to 1 cm per day, often associated with underlying malignancies such as lung, breast, or esophageal cancer. Positive stains Erythema gyratum repens: occasional presence of C3, C4 and IgG at the basement membrane zone with direct immunofluorescence Erythema gyratum repens typically presents as rapidly spreading pink, concentric rings on the skin. Patients may experience itching and burning sensations in the affected areas. The rash often has a wood-grain or wave-like appearance, resembling the pattern on a conch shell.

Final Conclusion

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory condition resulting in proximal myopathy, violaceous (heliotrope) inflammatory changes of the periorbital areas and the eyelids, erythematous urticarial patches ...