A healthcare professional needs to remove it in a clinical setting. Never try to remove a cutaneous horn at home. When a biopsy confirms that the growth is benign, the person may choose to leave the lesion or remove it for aesthetic reasons. Depending on the results, additional treatment may be necessary. For this reason, a doctor will almost always request a biopsy for the horn.Ī biopsy involves taking a sample of the growth and analyzing it for signs of malignancy in a laboratory. It is rare for a doctor to be able to rule out malignancy without a biopsy. In the process, the doctor takes a biopsy to check for any indications of cancer. This is especially important when malignancy is a significant concern. In some cases, a doctor recommends removing the entire horn. This involves taking a sample of the horn that includes a piece of the base. To determine whether a cutaneous horn is malignant, a doctor usually orders a biopsy. Understanding how a cutaneous horn develops into this type of skin cancer requires further research. Melanoma developing from a cutaneous horn is very rare, and the exact link remains unclear.Ĭontributing factors may include sun exposure, an ongoing inflammatory process in the skin, and an overgrowth of blood vessels. Risk factors include excessive exposure to the sun or ionizing radiation, which can come from X-ray or CAT scan machines.Īge, genetics, having a weakened immune system, and having scarring, may also increase the risk. Cutaneous horn basal cell carcinomaĪ more rare type of cancer associated with a cutaneous horn is basal cell carcinoma. If the horn is located on an ear, the back of a hand, the scalp, the nose, a forearm, the penis, or the face, it may also be linked with squamous cell carcinoma.Ī cutaneous horn can also present as an early version of this cancer, known as Bowen’s disease or squamous cell carcinoma in situ. There may be a greater risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, in particular, if the cutaneous horn is larger and painful, or red and wider at its base. It develops in about 94% of all malignant cutaneous horn cases. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer that can occur with a cutaneous horn. Older people, people with lighter skin, and those with sun damage have a higher risk.Ī doctor may recommend surgical removal to reduce the risk of a keratoacanthoma becoming malignant, as it can resemble squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer.īelow, we describe the more serious conditions related to cutaneous horns that are either cancerous or precancerous. It is dome-shaped and can grow up to 3 centimeters in diameter. This type of growth is relatively common and often benign. The latter two require medical treatment, while the others are benign.Īnother growth, called a keratoacanthoma can develop from a cutaneous horn, though this is rare. Many of these health conditions are noncancerous, including nevi, seborrheic keratoses, viral warts, viral skin infections, and psoriasis. Less often, cutaneous horns form in dogs as a result of a canine papillomavirus infection.ĭoctors associate a range of health issues with cutaneous horns. The cause is typically feline leukemia virus-associated dermatoses or a feline papillomavirus infection. In cats, especially, cutaneous horns are quite common and usually form on the footpads. Cutaneous horns on dogs and catsĪnimals other than humans can develop these growths, including malignant ones. And the risk of malignancy increases with the size of the horn. In terms of cancer risk, cutaneous horns on the face are more likely to be cancerous or precancerous than those elsewhere on the body. In addition, males are more likely than females to develop these growths - and they are more likely to develop malignant ones. people with high levels of sun-damaged skin.people with a human papillomavirus, or HPV, infection.Research indicates that, while anyone can develop a cutaneous horn, people with a greater risk include: There may be an underlying cyst, though this is extremely rare.īecause cutaneous horns tend to develop in areas often exposed to the sun, particularly on the face and hands, experts believe that they may be related to high levels of UV radiation. The growths may be harmless, precancerous, or cancerous. Cutaneous horns develop from an excessive growth of keratin on the skin, particularly in very sun-damaged areas.
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