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What Is The Cause And Treatment For Keratoacanthoma On Forearm?
Question: Growth appeared suddenly on forearm. Never noticed anything or felt anything there before. It is raised, almost cone shaped. Hard. White, crusted. Black in the middle. Hurts I believe because I keep hitting it. I have no idea what it could be, but it worries me. Never seen anything like it before. I did take a pic to give you better idea. I go to the VA and it will take months for them to get into a dermatologist, IF they suspect it is cancer. Otherwise, you don't get in.
Brief Answer:
Kindly send good resolution pictures with details
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for the growth on forearm.
I tried my best to have a good look of the area but the picture is quite blurred and on higher resolution it becomes hazy. To diagnose the exact entity I very humbly request you to kindly upload few good resolution pictures of the affected area so that I can analyze it better.
Kindly take pains to send good resolution pictures focusing the area of concern which can be seen on higher magnification. For uploading the pictures you have a facility on the right side of the page or can send on:
YYYY@YYYY
with "attention:Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia"
Do let me certain other information:
- Exact time period since the growth is present.
- Any pain or itching or discomfort over same.
- Was the growth appeared freshly or there was any mole or related thing before its appearance.
- Any other relevant point which you think is important telling me about the area.
Hope to hear soon from your side.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology & Sexually transmitted diseases
Kindly send good resolution pictures with details
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.
I can understand your concern for the growth on forearm.
I tried my best to have a good look of the area but the picture is quite blurred and on higher resolution it becomes hazy. To diagnose the exact entity I very humbly request you to kindly upload few good resolution pictures of the affected area so that I can analyze it better.
Kindly take pains to send good resolution pictures focusing the area of concern which can be seen on higher magnification. For uploading the pictures you have a facility on the right side of the page or can send on:
YYYY@YYYY
with "attention:Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia"
Do let me certain other information:
- Exact time period since the growth is present.
- Any pain or itching or discomfort over same.
- Was the growth appeared freshly or there was any mole or related thing before its appearance.
- Any other relevant point which you think is important telling me about the area.
Hope to hear soon from your side.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology & Sexually transmitted diseases
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
I noticed it one week ago. It is very possible it came from a flat mole. I have many, many flat moles all over me. It hurts when touched.
I tried to take a closer view of the area as you requested. It feels very rough and is extremely hard.
I do have a history of extreme sun exposure and sunburns from the age of a very young child up until 15 years ago. I am fair skinned. Blonde hair, blue eyed.
I can only remember one other time in the middle of my chest, I had a cyst which also had a black spot in the middle of it. But it was not rough or nearly as hard as this is. It would move around when I pushed on it. This is different. It is hard like a rock, flaky, rough and does not move.
I tried to take a closer view of the area as you requested. It feels very rough and is extremely hard.
I do have a history of extreme sun exposure and sunburns from the age of a very young child up until 15 years ago. I am fair skinned. Blonde hair, blue eyed.
I can only remember one other time in the middle of my chest, I had a cyst which also had a black spot in the middle of it. But it was not rough or nearly as hard as this is. It would move around when I pushed on it. This is different. It is hard like a rock, flaky, rough and does not move.
Brief Answer:
Keratoacanthoma: quite common skin growth
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome again to the forum and thanks a lot for sending the picture as well as the most valuable description of the area.
Though the picture is still blurred but I can make out an important diagnosis from your description (thanks a lot for the same) as well as bit appearance of the lesion in the picture.
It appears to be “Keratoacanthoma” of the area. To begin with, let me reassure you that it is one of a quite common skin growth originating from oil (pilosebaceous) glands of skin. It is commonly encountered growth in post middle aged persons.
You can match with the typical description of the area as solitary, firm, roundish, skin-colored or reddish papules that rapidly progress to dome-shaped nodules with a smooth shiny surface and a central crateriform or keratin plug. This black spot in the middle of it is the keratin plug which I can make out from the picture.
It is self resolving skin growth which erupts very rapidly and then resolves by itself in few months in most of the cases. It is a self resolving condition so we dermatologist consider it as benign growth.
You must be wondering why and how it appeared!!!
It is seen in people who have had more sun exposure (as I can get the history from your part) and minor trauma may aggravate the rapid growth.
Let me remind you that you that it is not a cancerous growth and is totally different from basal cell carcinoma or melanomas. Though some people believe it to be related to squamous cell carcinoma (especially pathologists) but most of the dermatologists like me consider this as quite benign entity which can be taken care of quite easily.
In my patients I suggest to get it excised from your primary care physician if the appointment with dermatologist is not possible. Go for the histopathology of the area for further confirmation.
I again reassure you that it is not a malignant growth or anything related to melanoma.
I hope you must be relaxed to know the facts related to your condition. I will be glad to guide you any further.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology & Sexually transmitted diseases
Keratoacanthoma: quite common skin growth
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome again to the forum and thanks a lot for sending the picture as well as the most valuable description of the area.
Though the picture is still blurred but I can make out an important diagnosis from your description (thanks a lot for the same) as well as bit appearance of the lesion in the picture.
It appears to be “Keratoacanthoma” of the area. To begin with, let me reassure you that it is one of a quite common skin growth originating from oil (pilosebaceous) glands of skin. It is commonly encountered growth in post middle aged persons.
You can match with the typical description of the area as solitary, firm, roundish, skin-colored or reddish papules that rapidly progress to dome-shaped nodules with a smooth shiny surface and a central crateriform or keratin plug. This black spot in the middle of it is the keratin plug which I can make out from the picture.
It is self resolving skin growth which erupts very rapidly and then resolves by itself in few months in most of the cases. It is a self resolving condition so we dermatologist consider it as benign growth.
You must be wondering why and how it appeared!!!
It is seen in people who have had more sun exposure (as I can get the history from your part) and minor trauma may aggravate the rapid growth.
Let me remind you that you that it is not a cancerous growth and is totally different from basal cell carcinoma or melanomas. Though some people believe it to be related to squamous cell carcinoma (especially pathologists) but most of the dermatologists like me consider this as quite benign entity which can be taken care of quite easily.
In my patients I suggest to get it excised from your primary care physician if the appointment with dermatologist is not possible. Go for the histopathology of the area for further confirmation.
I again reassure you that it is not a malignant growth or anything related to melanoma.
I hope you must be relaxed to know the facts related to your condition. I will be glad to guide you any further.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology & Sexually transmitted diseases
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you. Excised..meaning removed? If I cannot do so anytime soon...should I apply anything topically or will it resolve itself on it's own?
Brief Answer:
Ideally should be removed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks a lot for your swift response.
As I said the best mode of treatment is by excision which means removal of the area. It us just few minutes procedure and therefore can be done by any qualified doctor. The benefit of the same is that the growth can be sent for histopathological diagnosis.
It can also be electro-dessicated (burned out with machine) but I prefer to remove the growth.
I generally don't prefer anything to apply. The only precaution you should take care of is not to scratch or pinch the area as can cause infection or wound formation.
You just keep a watch over the area. If it is increasing rapidly then can be removed accordingly or can get regressed by itself.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Ideally should be removed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks a lot for your swift response.
As I said the best mode of treatment is by excision which means removal of the area. It us just few minutes procedure and therefore can be done by any qualified doctor. The benefit of the same is that the growth can be sent for histopathological diagnosis.
It can also be electro-dessicated (burned out with machine) but I prefer to remove the growth.
I generally don't prefer anything to apply. The only precaution you should take care of is not to scratch or pinch the area as can cause infection or wound formation.
You just keep a watch over the area. If it is increasing rapidly then can be removed accordingly or can get regressed by itself.
I hope these informations will help you. I will be glad to answer any further queries.
With regards,
Dr Sanjay Kanodia
MD-DERMATOLOGY
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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