Terra firma-forme dermatosis is a hyperpigmented skin disease with a dirt-like appearance. Swabbing the lesions with alcohol serves to both diagnose and treat it. Although not well known, the condition might be more common than expected. In a retrospective study of the medical records of 79 patients, the dermatoses were found on the trunks of 28 percent of patients, on extremities of 27 percent of patients, in fold zones of 9 percent of patients, and on the heads of 3 percent of patients. Thirty-four percent of patients had more than one lesion. Recognizing terra firma-forme dermatosis can help avoid unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatment.
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Features of Terra Firma-Forme Dermatosis
Nursad Çifci Aslan, MD, et al
Kocaeli Derince Education and Research Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey
http://www.annfammed.org/content/16/1/52
The Annals of Family Medicine