Reactive Benign Follicular Mucinosis: A Report of 2 Cases

We report 2 cases of adolescents who developed follicular mucinosis following cutaneous infections. A 17-year-old adolescent boy was evaluated for a 2-week history of erythematous papules and plaques on his face and neck. One month prior to presentation a culture was taken that was positive for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus–associated impetigo. Biopsies from 2 representative lesions demonstrated follicular mucinosis without evidence of folliculotropism or T cell gene rearrangements. A separate case involved a 17-year-old adolescent girl who presented with an edematous plaque on her right preauricular region and scattered erythematous papules and small annular plaques over her face 2 weeks following a herpes simplex virus type 2 (HHV-2) infection on her face. Biopsy showed follicular mucinosis without evidence of epidermotropism or lymphocyte atypia. There was no herpesvirus cytopathic effect. The first case rapidly responded to an oral prednisone taper and the second case resolved over several weeks without further treatment.