Keratoacanthoma: when to observe and when to operate and the importance of accurate diagnosis

Although keratoacanthoma regresses spontaneously, treating physicians seldom allow these lesions to progress through their natural course. We describe two cases of skin lesions, the first being a keratoacanthoma, which enlarged rapidly and then involuted with minimal scarring. The second lesion was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSouthern medical journal (Birmingham, Ala.) Vol. 87; no. 12; pp. 1272 - 1276
Main Authors Netscher, D T, Wigoda, P, Green, L K, Spira, M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.1994
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Biopsy
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Keratoacanthoma - pathology
Male
Skin - pathology
Skin Diseases - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
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Summary:Although keratoacanthoma regresses spontaneously, treating physicians seldom allow these lesions to progress through their natural course. We describe two cases of skin lesions, the first being a keratoacanthoma, which enlarged rapidly and then involuted with minimal scarring. The second lesion was initially misdiagnosed and failed to respond to medical management. An accurate diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was not made until the lesion had become deeply invasive. These two lesions have helped clarify our thoughts about the observation of keratoacanthomas, the need for frequent patient follow-up when a lesion is not surgically ablated, and the importance of providing the pathologist with an adequate biopsy specimen for diagnostic purposes.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Case Study-2
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ISSN:0038-4348
DOI:10.1097/00007611-199412000-00013