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1: J Med Case Reports. 2007 Dec 5;1:170.Click here to read Click here to read Links

Giant cutaneous horn in an African woman: a case report.

Nthumba PM.

Department of Surgery, AIC Kijabe Hospital, PO Box 20 Kijabe 00220, Kenya, Africa. nthumba@gmail.com.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: A cutaneous horn is a conical projection of hyperkeratotic epidermis. Though grossly resembling an animal horn, it lacks a bony core. These lesions have been well described in Caucasian patients, as well as in a number of Arabic and Asian patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A young female presented with a large 'horn' of five-year duration, arising from a burn scar. Excision and scalp reconstruction were performed. Histology was reported as verrucoid epidermal hyperplasia with cutaneous horn. CONCLUSION: This may be the first documentation of this lesion in a black African. Although likely rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dermatologic lesions. Up to 40% of cutaneous horns occur as part of a premalignant or malignant lesion, and surgical extirpation with histological examination is thus more important than the curiosity surrounding these lesions.

PMID: 18053226 [PubMed - in process]

PMCID: PMC2225419