Skin Tags Linked to Metabolic Syndrome in Children

TOPLINE:

In a retrospective study of children with acrochordons (skin tags), the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated liver enzymes, was increased.

METHODOLOGY:

Acrochordons, or skin tags, which are common, benign skin growths that appear in the axilla and other areas where frequent friction occurs, have been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome in adults; however, limited information is available regarding their association in children and adolescents.Researchers evaluated 55 children whose median age was 10 years (64% girls 76% White) with acrochordons at the outpatient dermatology clinics of Michigan Medicine, a tertiary referral center, between January 2000 and January 2021 and compared them with propensity-matched National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, a representative sample of the US population.Patients were categorized based on their body mass index (BMI) into underweight, normal, overweight, or obese categories using the Center for Disease Control BMI-for-Age Growth Charts.Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed if any of these criteria were met: Low high-density lipoprotein levels (≤ 40 mg/dL), hypertension (≥ 90th percentile), increased triglyceride levels (≥ 110 mg/dL), obesity (≥ 90th percentile), and increased fasting serum glucose levels (≥ 110 mg/dL).

TAKEAWAY:

Overall, 35 patients with acrochordons were either obese or overweight, and three (5.5%) met the criteria for metabolic syndrome.The average age at the time of acrochordons diagnosis was 10.1 years. The most common locations were the axilla (38%) and neck (25%), and 16.4% of the patients had acrochordons present in more than one location.The prevalence of obesity (49% vs 27%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (5.5% vs 1.9%), hyperlipidemia (7.3% vs 0%), and hypertension (1.8% vs 0%) were greater in patients with acrochordons compared with the NHANES dataset.Patients with acrochordons had significantly higher median BMI (27 vs 20; P <.001 triglyceride levels vs mg p=".011)," aspartate transaminase alanine lower median high-density lipoprotein level>I N PRACTICE:

“While skin tags are largely benign and idiopathic, their presence may indicate underlying metabolic abnormalities in both adults and children, especially in the setting of obesity,” the authors wrote, adding: “The associations observed in pediatric acrochordon patients suggestive of poorer health and comorbidities should prompt clinicians to closely evaluate children with acrochordons.”

SOURCE:

The study, led by Rachel K. Greene, MD, of the department of dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was published online on April 29, 2024, in Pediatric Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The small sample size, single-center cohort, and inclusion of a primarily White population might limit generalizability to a diverse population. The study was also retrospective, and laboratory tests might not have been collected at the time of the skin tag diagnosis, possibly affecting the accuracy of the findings. Waist circumference, typically considered for obesity and metabolic syndrome, was not assessed.