Original articleEpidemiology and treatment of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE): A systematic review

BackgroundCurrent knowledge of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) derives from retrospective reports and case series, leading to a nonevidence-based treatment approach.ObjectiveWe sought to systematically review the literature relating to cutaneous ALHE to estimate its epidemiology and treatment outcomes.MethodsA literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted. Articles detailing cases of histologically confirmed cutaneous ALHE were included.ResultsIn all, 416 studies were included in the review, representing 908 patients. There was no sex predominance among patients with ALHE. Mean age at presentation was 37.6 years. There was a significant association between presence of multiple lesions and pruritus, along with bleeding. Surgical excision was the most commonly reported treatment for ALHE. Treatment failure was lowest for excision and pulsed dye laser. Mean disease-free survival after excision was 4.2 years. There were higher rates of recurrence postexcision with earlier age of onset, longer duration of disease, multiple lesions, bilateral lesions, pruritus, pain, and bleeding.LimitationsPotential for publication bias is a limitation.ConclusionsSurgical excision appears to be the most effective treatment for ALHE, albeit suboptimal. Pulsed dye and other lasers may be effective treatment options. More studies are needed to improve the treatment of ALHE.