Variability in the Michelin tire syndrome

Circumferential ringed creases (“Michelin tire babies”) with specific histologic findings and/or karyotype abnormalities: Clues to molecular pathogenesis?

“…In reference to the paper by Elliott et al [1996], we believe that some cases of circumferential ringed creases (or "Michelin tire babies") with specific histologic findings and/or karyotype abnormalities may provide clues as to the molecular pathogenesis in at least some of these patients. In a karyotypically abnormal child with multiple anomalies, mental retardation, hypertrichosis, and circumferential ringed creases, we found an underlying smooth muscle hamartoma in a skin biopsy of one of the creases [Schnur et al, 1993-also reported as case 2 of Cohen et al, 1993]. This same histologic pattern was documented in 4 other children with circumferential skin creases in reports by Wallach et al [1980;Glover et al [1989], Patrizi et al [1989], and Oku et al [1993].…”

“…In the group of patients who have smooth muscle hamartomas underlying their skin creases, a contiguous gene syndrome hypothesis could be invoked to explain the variable spectrum of clinical findings. Although no readily apparent deletions were detected in the patient reported in Schnur et al [1993], a clue to lo-calization of a gene which causes these hamartomatous skin creases may have been provided by the karyotype of that child, a seemingly balanced, maternally transmitted paracentric inversion of chromosome 7. Alternatively, this finding may have been coincidental to the phenotype.…”

Raised limb bands developing in infancy

“…In the MTBS, generalized folding of excess skin is fancifully likened to the mascot of the French tyre manufacturer, Michelin. In most reports this appears to result from two distinct pathologies, either diffuse smooth muscle hamartoma [7][8][9][10][11] or diffuse lipomatous naevus. 12,13 Our cases demonstrated no histological features of either entity.…”

Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartoma Presenting as a Linear Atrophic Plaque: Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…The second most frequent appearance is a patch with perifollicular papules (3-7). Rarely it can involve extensive areas (%lo), and may be one of the causes of the Michelin tire syndrome (11)(12)(13)(14).…”