keratoacanthoma

keratoacanthoma /ker·a·to·ac·an·tho·ma/ (ker″ah-to-ak″an-tho´mah) a benign, locally destructive, epithelial tumor closely resembling squamous cell carcinoma, manifested as one or more craters, each filled with a keratin plug and usually resolving spontaneously.

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ker·a·to·ac·an·tho·ma (kr-t-kn-thm)

n.

A rapidly growing skin tumor having a central keratin mass and usually occurring on exposed areas, invading the dermis but remaining localized and usually healing spontaneously.

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keratoacanthoma

[ker′ətō·ak′anthō′mə] pl. keratoacanthomas, keratoacanthomata

Etymology: Gk, keras + akantha, thorn + oma, tumor

a benign, rapidly growing, flesh-colored papule or nodule of the skin with a central plug of keratin. The lesion is most common on the face or the back of the hands and arms. It disappears spontaneously in 4 to 6 months, leaving a slightly depressed scar. Biopsy is often necessary to differentiate it from a squamous cell carcinoma.

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keratoacanthoma [ker″ah-to-ak″an-tho´mah]

a rapidly growing, benign papular lesion, with a superficial crater filled with a keratin plug, usually on the face; it resolves spontaneously.

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keratoacanthoma (ker´tōak´an-thō´m),

n (“self-healing carcinoma”) a rapidly growing papular lesion with a superficial crater filled with keratin. Clinical and histopathologic features of this lesion are very similar to well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; however, most consider this growth to be benign. Treatment is conservative excision.

Keratoacanthoma.

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keratoacanthoma

see intracutaneous cornifying epithelioma.

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keratoacanthoma

Dermatology A benign proliferation of squamous epithelium caused by infundibular hyperplasia and squamous metaplasia of sebaceous glands, which may histologically mimic WD (well differentiated) SCC. Cf Squamous cell carcinoma.