JAAD Publishes First Derm Care Recommendations for PTEN Syndrome

The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology has published management recommendations for the dermatologic manifestations of PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, authored by a dedicated PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome Dermatology Working Group. The paper appears in Volume 95, Issue 5, dated November 2026.

The eight-author group includes Andrew Dhawan, Sarah Baitamouni, Darren Liu, Kristin Anthony, Francesco P. Salamone, Iria Neri, Cheryl Bayart and Joan Tamburro. Their consensus document addresses how dermatologists should identify, monitor and manage the cutaneous findings associated with the syndrome.

Why does PTEN syndrome matter to dermatologists?

PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome stems from pathogenic variants in the PTEN tumor suppressor gene. Patients carry an elevated lifetime cancer risk, and the skin is often where the condition first shows itself.

Dermatologists therefore sit at the front line of detection. Recognizing the syndrome's characteristic cutaneous presentation can trigger genetic testing, cancer surveillance and referral before malignancies develop.

Until now, the dermatologic management of these patients lacked a formal, multi-expert recommendation set. This working group fills that gap for the specialty.

What does the paper cover?

The recommendations focus on the dermatologic manifestations of the syndrome and their management. The authors — spanning dermatology, genetics and pediatric perspectives — consolidated their guidance into a framework clinicians can apply in practice.

The document's core aim is practical: give dermatologists a defined pathway for handling the skin findings they'll encounter in PTEN syndrome patients, from first recognition through ongoing care.

Who should act on it?

The guidance targets dermatologists managing patients with confirmed or suspected PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome. It also carries weight for clinicians in related disciplines who coordinate surveillance for these patients, given the syndrome's multi-organ cancer risk.

Publication in JAAD, the specialty's flagship journal, signals the recommendations are positioned to shape standard practice. Readers can find the full management framework in Volume 95, Issue 5.

How quickly these recommendations translate into routine screening protocols will depend on adoption across dermatology departments and cancer-genetics programs in the months following publication.