05-12-2009, 03:30 PM
A 55-year-old woman complains to her physician that the skin of her armpits and groin "keeps getting
darker and darker." Physical examination demonstrates velvety brown and warty skin in the axilla
and groin. Biopsy of these lesions shows a variably hyperplastic epidermis with many sharp peaks
and valleys. Aside from cosmetic considerations, which of the following is the primary medical
significance of these lesions?
A. They may be a sign of immunosuppression
B. They may be a sign of visceral carcinoma
C. They may be easily superinfected
D. They may be malignant
E. They may be premalignant
darker and darker." Physical examination demonstrates velvety brown and warty skin in the axilla
and groin. Biopsy of these lesions shows a variably hyperplastic epidermis with many sharp peaks
and valleys. Aside from cosmetic considerations, which of the following is the primary medical
significance of these lesions?
A. They may be a sign of immunosuppression
B. They may be a sign of visceral carcinoma
C. They may be easily superinfected
D. They may be malignant
E. They may be premalignant