skin pigmentation and pancreas

I'm a 39 white female. I have observed that the skin of my showders are becoming gradually gray. Besides this, on my face there are from time to time a circular patch that becomes at first rough with a radiate pattern than discolored. On my feet the skin is thickned and the nails very hard and strange. I noticed too that the color of my face is becoming brownish over the time. When I do some kind of exercise, I start to sweet a lot, my skin turns pale and very cold, and the doctor said I have to do some tests to see if I have troubles with my pancreas. My question is: is there a relationship between changes in skin and a endocrinological trouble? Is there some kind of test to acanthosis nigricans? Thank you for your help.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Helena:

There are indeed endocrine condtions which may underlie pigment problems, but they are very rare, and in my expericne, external conditions are far more common.  As for acanthosis nigricans (in Englsih: dark thickening), this appears on the neck and under the arms as darkenss and thick, velevety skin, often with little papillomas or taks on top.  It's a clinical diagnosis, for which tests are generall not needed.  The exception is when the cause of the acanthosis, which typically is genetics or obesity, is instead endocrine.  It seems that your doctor is already looking into that.

Best.

Dr. R

[Helena de Assis]

Thank you for your attention.
Helena