An algorithmic approach towards diagnosis of patients with hereditary reticulate pigmentary disorders: a narrative review

Abstract

Hereditary reticulate pigmentary disorders include a group of genetic disorders with net-like pigmentation as their predominant presentation. Many of these hereditary reticulate pigmentary disorders have a wide array of cutaneous presentations with overlapping features. Furthermore, some of these disorders also have systemic manifestations. The overlapping features often add confusion and cause delay in the diagnosis. Based on the literature search, we propose an easy-to-follow concise diagnostic algorithm for the same. This would aid in ordering a definite genetic test. A thorough data search was done using data base PubMed using the following keywords. It included “‘inherit*’ OR ‘genetic’” AND “reticulate AND pigment*”’. Thereafter, an individual disease search was done using keywords ‘Dowling-Degos disease’, ‘Dyschromatosis Hereditaria Symmetrica’, ‘Acropigmentation of Kitamura’, ‘Dyschromatosis Universalis Hereditaria’, ‘Naegeli–Franceschetti–Jadasssohn syndrome’, ‘X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder’ and ‘Dyskeratosis congenita’. The search included case reports, series, observational studies, narrative and systematic reviews, clinical trials. Acquired pigmentary disorders were excluded. A total of 1994 articles were retrieved. Finally, 625 articles were included for the review. The articles were narrative review articles (40), case series (23), observational studies (44), and case reports (518). An easy-to-follow clinical diagnostic algorithm based on age of onset, distribution, and other parameters would definitely aid in reaching a provisional diagnosis. And further this approach will help in the genetic workup of a case of hereditary reticulate pigmentary disorder.