Eczema craquelé associated with nephrotic syndrome

INTRODUCTION Eczema craquel e, also referred to as asteatotic eczema, is characterized by intersecting superficial fissures of the skin that lead to a distinctive ‘‘dried river bed’’ or ‘‘crazy-paving’’ appearance. It most commonly affects the distal lower extremities of older individuals during cold winter months and develops within a background of xerosis. Occasionally, eczema craquel e is a reflection of an underlying malignancy (eg, lymphoma, leukemia, solid organ tumors), malnutrition (eg, anorexia nervosa), decreased sweat gland activity (eg, chronic graft-versus-host-disease, Sj€ ogren’s syndrome, hypoesthetic skin), or the use of a systemic medication (eg, retinoids). The possibility of a secondary association should be considered when there are atypical features (eg, developing in an adolescent) or in unusual sites (eg, upper back, abdomen). In this article, we report the appearance of eczema craquel e in a young woman with anasarca caused by hypoalbuminemia and review the disorders that can have eczema craquel e as a dermatologic finding.