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. 2016 Mar;17(1):25-27.
doi: 10.7181/acfs.2016.17.1.25. Epub 2016 Mar 21.

Cutaneous Horn in Premalignant and Malignant Conditions

Hyochun Park  1 , Wonwoo Kim  1 , Hoonnam Kim  1 , Hyeonjung Yeo  1
Affiliations

Cutaneous Horn in Premalignant and Malignant Conditions

Hyochun Park et al. Arch Craniofac Surg. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Cutaneous horns are conical, circumscribed protuberances formed by densely layered keratin. These lesions originate from basal keratinocytes and may manifest as benign, premalignant, or malignant cutaneous pathology in chronically sun-damaged areas. Complete surgical excision with histologic examination is needed for potential malignancy. In this report, we describe two elderly women presenting with solitary facial cutaneous horns, which were respectively diagnosed as actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma.

Keywords: Carcinoma, squamous cell; Cutaneous horn; Keratosis, actinic.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Case 1. (A) A 1.5 cm tall firm arciform projection with broad base. (B) Postoperative appearance after wide excision and advancement flap.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Case 1. Histology of the lesion demonstrates thick cornified mound atop stratum Malpighii (H&E, ×20).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Case 2. (A) A 1.8 cm cutaneous horn of right preauricular area. (B) Postoperative appearance at 2 months after surgery.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Case 2. Histologic section consistent with well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Note dermal infiltrates of primary cutaneous cellular sheets and nests, with intensely inflamed advancing edge (H&E, ×20).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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