Common benign skin tumors
- PMID: 12613727
Common benign skin tumors
Abstract
Benign skin tumors are commonly seen by family physicians. The ability to properly diagnose and treat common benign tumors and to distinguish them from malignant lesions is a vital skill for all family physicians. Any lesions for which the diagnosis is uncertain, based on the history and gross examination, should be biopsied for histopathologic examination to rule out malignancy. Lipomas are technically subcutaneous soft tissue tumors, not skin tumors, and controversy exists about whether keratoacanthomas have malignant potential; however, both are discussed in this article because they are common tumors evaluated by family physicians. Diagnosis usually is based on the appearance of the lesion and the patient's clinical history, although biopsy is sometimes required. Treatment includes excision, cryotherapy, curettage with or without electrodesiccation, and pharmacotherapy, and is based on the type of tumor and its location. Generally, excision is the treatment of choice for lipomas, dermatofibromas, keratoacanthomas, pyogenic granulomas, and epidermoid cysts. Cherry angiomas and sebaceous hyperplasia are often treated with laser therapy and electrodesiccation. Common treatments for acrochordons and seborrheic keratoses are cryotherapy and shave excision. Referral is indicated if the family physician is not confident with the diagnostic evaluation or treatment of a lesion, or if a biopsy reveals melanoma.
Similar articles
-
Diagnosing Common Benign Skin Tumors.Am Fam Physician. 2024 Oct;110(4):353-361. Am Fam Physician. 2024. PMID: 39418568 Review.
-
Diagnosing Common Benign Skin Tumors.Am Fam Physician. 2015 Oct 1;92(7):601-7. Am Fam Physician. 2015. PMID: 26447443
-
Common skin tumors in the elderly.Am Fam Physician. 1992 Jul;46(1):163-8. Am Fam Physician. 1992. PMID: 1621628 Review.
-
Seborrheic keratoses.Am Fam Physician. 1986 Aug;34(2):147-52. Am Fam Physician. 1986. PMID: 2944363
-
[Minor cutaneous ambulatory surgery and cryotherapy. Comparative study between a dermatologist and family physicians].Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2007 Apr;98(3):171-7. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2007. PMID: 17504701 Spanish.
Cited by
-
A Pilot Split-Neck Case Study to Compare the Efficacy of the Long-Pulsed 755 nm Laser and the 532 nm Picosecond Laser for Acrochordon Removal.Ann Dermatol. 2023 May;35(Suppl 1):S67-S70. doi: 10.5021/ad.20.291. Ann Dermatol. 2023. PMID: 37853869 Free PMC article.
-
A Rare Case of Spontaneous Pneumothorax Recurrence 30 Years After Surgery in a Patient with Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome: Case Presentation and Short Review of the Literature.Acta Inform Med. 2023 Jun;31(2):146-150. doi: 10.5455/aim.2023.31.146-150. Acta Inform Med. 2023. PMID: 37711493 Free PMC article.
-
Bilateral, tender axillary nodules.JAAD Case Rep. 2022 Jul 6;27:49-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2022.06.034. eCollection 2022 Sep. JAAD Case Rep. 2022. PMID: 36017193 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
-
Is it Necessary to Send Clinically Diagnosed Benign Skin and Subcutaneous Lesions Excised Under Local Anesthesia for Routine Histopathological Examination?Cureus. 2021 Aug 15;13(8):e17194. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17194. eCollection 2021 Aug. Cureus. 2021. PMID: 34540422 Free PMC article.
-
Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome.Eur Respir Rev. 2020 Sep 17;29(157):200042. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0042-2020. Print 2020 Sep 30. Eur Respir Rev. 2020. PMID: 32943413 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
