Unilateral serpiginous angioma of the thigh: Clinicodermoscopic correlation of an uncommon vascular malformationt.

Abstract

Serpiginous angioma (SA) is an uncommon benign capillary vascular malformation characterized by the proliferation of ectatic capillaries within the papillary dermis. Clinically, it presents as clusters of pinpoint erythematous papules that do not blanch on diascopy. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman with a plaque composed of multiple grouped pinpoint erythematous papules on the left thigh. The lesions had appeared during early adolescence (12 years of age), were asymptomatic, and had shown slow progression. Dermoscopy revealed the characteristic diagnostic pattern of well-defined, regular, round-to-oval red lagoons on a pink background, without a pigment network or linear vascular structures. The diagnosis was established based on the clinical and dermoscopic findings, without the need for confirmatory biopsy.

This case highlights the value of dermoscopy as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for distinguishing serpiginous angioma from other vascular and purpuric lesions, thereby avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.