Skin Tag (Acrochordon)

Excerpt

Skin tags, also known as acrochordons, are benign soft excrescences of redundant skin. Studies show that approximately 50% to 60% of adults develop at least 1 of these harmless growths during their lifetime, with the likelihood of occurrence increasing after the fourth decade of life. However, acrochordons occur more commonly in individuals with obesity, diabetes mellitus, or metabolic syndrome and in those with a family history of skin tags. Skin tags affect men and women equally.

Acrochordons may appear as early as adolescence but are more common in later life. Many studies have reported that the incidence of skin tags in children and adolescents is increasing. This trend seems to align with the global rise in childhood obesity. Skin tags, on the other hand, are rare after the seventh decade of life. These lesions tend to grow in areas with skin folds, such as the axilla, neck, eyelids, and groin (see Images. Skin Tags on the Neck and Skin Tags in the Axilla). The lesions are skin-colored, brown, or red ovoid growths that are often pedunculated and attached to a fleshy stalk. Skin tags are small, measuring 1 to 5 mm, and rarely grow to 1 to 2 cm. Acrochordons are neither painful nor tender but can be troublesome. Patients often report that skin tags catch on clothing or jewelry, such as necklaces. Occasionally, the constant friction between the garments and the skin tag can cause bleeding or itching. Certain genetic disorders may predispose to the development of skin tags, such as Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. In addition to other cutaneous and systemic features, acrochordons may be numerous, often forming a necklace-like configuration known as the molluscum pendulum necklace sign.