Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome: Report of five cases and a review of literature

Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome is a rare angioproliferative disorder characterised by acroangiodermatitis associated with an underlying arteriovenous shunt. This condition should be differentiated from acroangiodermatitis of Mali classically described in association with chronic venous insufficiency. Patients with Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome typically present with lower leg pigmented macules, papules and plaques that can coalesce to form larger confluent patches of pigmentation. Recognition of Stewart–Bluefarb syndrome may be difficult or delayed as the cutaneous manifestations may resemble a variety of other dermatological conditions. Most commonly, acroangiodermatitis may be confused with Kaposi’s sarcoma and the condition is often referred to as ‘Pseudo-Kaposi’s sarcoma’. Acroangiodermatitis may also resemble or coexist with pigmentation of chronic venous insufficiency. As seen in this report, acroangiodermatitis may also be clinically confused with the ‘cavernous’ form of a capillary malformation. Here, we d...