Skin Tag: Is It a Marker for Internal Diseases?

Journal of Pan-Arab League of Dermatologists
Vol. 20, No. 1, February 2009  Page 21- 31

Skin Tag: Is It a Marker for Internal Diseases?
Iman Abdel Fattah Seleit, Mohammed Abdel Wahed Gaber and El-Sayed Ibrahiem El Shayeb
Departments of Dermatology, Andrology & STDs and internal medicine, Menoufiya University, Egypt

Abstract

Patients with skin tags had high serum cholesteroland postprandial blood glucose levels thanthose of the control group. The results were statisticallysignificant. High levels of triglycerides(TG), Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Very lowdensitylipoprotein (VLDL) were demonstrated.There was a negative correlation between skintags and HDL and positive correlation betweenthe skin tags and TG, LDL and VLDL. Highlysignificant positive correlation between cholesterollevel and number of skin tags was demonstrated.Body mass index (BMI) was slightlyhigher in patients with skin tags than those inthe controlgroup. There was a highly statisticalsignificant positive correlation between casesand controls as regards insulin resistance (IR). There was a highly positive correlation betweeninsulin resistance and number of skin tags. Asregards colonic polyps whichwere detected bycolonoscopy, it was found that they wereslightly higher in patients than those in controlgroup, but this difference was not statisticallysignificant.In conclusion, skin tags are cutaneous findingsfrequently associated with obesity, IR,and dyslipidemia.Because of the higher BMI, and IR inskin tags group, it can be suggested that evaluationof patients with skin tags for IR andNIDDM may be necessary. In addition the highcholesterol levels in our patients can also be interpreted
as a sign of future atherosclerotic diseases.Therefore, skin tags may not be innocenttumoral proliferations. They may be an indicationof higher cardiovascular risk that could beuseful in general practice. So, follow up of thesepatients with regard to the development of diseasesassociated with atherosclerosis may bebeneficial.

Abstract

Patients with skin tags had high serum cholesteroland postprandial blood glucose levels thanthose of the control group. The results were statisticallysignificant. High levels of triglycerides(TG), Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Very lowdensitylipoprotein (VLDL) were demonstrated.There was a negative correlation between skintags and HDL and positive correlation betweenthe skin tags and TG, LDL and VLDL. Highlysignificant positive correlation between cholesterollevel and number of skin tags was demonstrated.Body mass index (BMI) was slightlyhigher in patients with skin tags than those inthe controlgroup. There was a highly statisticalsignificant positive correlation between casesand controls as regards insulin resistance (IR). There was a highly positive correlation betweeninsulin resistance and number of skin tags. Asregards colonic polyps whichwere detected bycolonoscopy, it was found that they wereslightly higher in patients than those in controlgroup, but this difference was not statisticallysignificant.In conclusion, skin tags are cutaneous findingsfrequently associated with obesity, IR,and dyslipidemia.Because of the higher BMI, and IR inskin tags group, it can be suggested that evaluationof patients with skin tags for IR andNIDDM may be necessary. In addition the highcholesterol levels in our patients can also be interpreted
as a sign of future atherosclerotic diseases.Therefore, skin tags may not be innocenttumoral proliferations. They may be an indicationof higher cardiovascular risk that could beuseful in general practice. So, follow up of thesepatients with regard to the development of diseasesassociated with atherosclerosis may bebeneficial.