Verruca Restricted to the Areas of Black Dye Within a Tattoo

Decorative tattoos have been associated with allergic reactions, basal cell carcinoma, and pulmonary sarcoidosis.1Infectious side effects include local bacterial infections and transmission of hepatitis, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).2We describe one patient with dozens of small verruca on his right arm with involvement only in the region of the black dye of his tattoo. Report of a Case. A 33-year-old man was seen for evaluation of 120 pinpoint to 1-mm-diameter skincolored, acuminate papules on his right upper arm, which began 2 years ago. The papules were localized within a 15×12-cm area on his right arm within his lion tattoo. One hundred eighteen of the 120 papules were present within the area of black dye. Two papules were present in immediately adjacent skin within 1 mm of the black areas of the tattoo (Figure). The tattoo had been present for 10 years without any previous side