Treatment of fibroelastolytic papulosis with fractionated carbon dioxide laser

Fibroelastolytic papulosis (FEP) is an acquired elastic tissue disorder that presents as white-to-yellow papules and plaques usually occurring on the neck. Although the lesions are often asymptomatic, their appearance may be distressing to patients. FEP has been treated with topical tretinoin in one case report (1 Wang AR, Lewis K, Lewis M, Robinson-Bosom L. Papillary dermal elastosis: a unique elastic tissue disorder or an unusual manifestation of pseudoxanthoma elasticum- like papillary dermal elastolysis? J Cutan Pathol. 2009;36: 1010–1013.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Other reports have not mentioned treatment for this rare disorder (1–6 Wang AR, Lewis K, Lewis M, Robinson-Bosom L. Papillary dermal elastosis: a unique elastic tissue disorder or an unusual manifestation of pseudoxanthoma elasticum- like papillary dermal elastolysis? J Cutan Pathol. 2009;36: 1010–1013. Rongioletti F, Rebora A. Fibroelastolytic patterns of intrinsic skin aging: pseuodoxanthoma-elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis and white fibrous papulosis of the neck. Dermatology. 1995;191:19–24. Shimuzu H, Kimura S, Harada T, Nishikawa T. White fibrous papulosis of the neck: a new clinicopathologic entity? J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989;20:1073–1077. Balus L, Amantea A, Donati P, Fazio M, Giuliano MC, Bellocci M. Fibroelastolytic papulosis of the neck: a report of 20 cases. Br J Dermatol. 1997;137:461–466. Jagdeo J, Ng C, Ronchetti IP, Wilkel C, Bercovitch L, Robinson-Bostom L. Fibroelastolytic papulosis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004;51:958–964. Ohnishi Y, Tajima S, Ishibasi A, Inazumi T, Saski T, Sakaoto T. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis: reposrt of four Japanese cases and an immunohistochemical study of elastin and fibrillin-1. Br J Dermatol. 1998;139:141. ). We present a case of FEP successfully treated with a fractionated carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser.