Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2010 Jul;3(7):54-5.

Multiple eruptive keratoacanthomas arising in a tattoo

Case Reports

Multiple eruptive keratoacanthomas arising in a tattoo

Magalys Vitiello et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010 Jul.

Abstract

Keratoacanthomas are rapidly growing, keratinizing, epithelial neoplasms that tend to spontaneously involute and are rarely multiple or eruptive. There is still disagreement on whether or not this condition is a malignancy or a benign epidermal neoplasm; nevertheless, its appearance on tattoos has been reported in rare instances. When waiting for spontaneous involution is not an option, surgery is the preferred treatment. Other therapeutic modalities used for the treatment of this condition include radiotherapy; cryotherapy; laser therapy; and multiple intralesional, topical, and systemic agents. The authors report a patient who developed multiple, eruptive keratoacanthomas in the red ink portions of a tattoo and was successfully treated with acitretin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Professionally designed tattoo on the leg, with scaly papules and nodules
Figure 2
Figure 2
Lichenoid infiltrate and coarse tattoo pigment (H&E 4x)
Figure 3
Figure 3
High power view of the epidermal hyperplasia, the coarse tattoo pigment, and the lichenoid lymphocytic reaction (H&E 10x)

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Fitzpatrick T, Eisen A, Wolff K, et al., editors. Dermatology in General Medicine. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1993. Keratoacanthoma; pp. 848–855.
    1. Kluger N, Minier-Thoumin C, Plantier F. Keratoacanthoma occurring within the red dye of tattoo. J Cutan Pathol. 2008;35:504–507. - PubMed
    1. Dos Santos Gon A, Minelli L, Garbosa Meissner MC. Keratoacanthoma in a tattoo. Dermatology Online Journal. 2009;15(7):9. - PubMed
    1. Fraga GR, Prossick TA. Tattoo-associated keratoacanthomas: a series of 8 patients with 11 keratoacanthomas. J Cutan Pathol. 2010;37:85–90. - PubMed
    1. Rosenblum GA. Multiple palmar keratoacanthomas treated with acitretin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2006;5:1006–1009. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources