A Giant Cutaneous Horn of the Back with Initial Malignant Transformation: A Case Report
Mohamed S Muhamedhussein
*
Orthopedics and Trauma, Ebrahim Haji Charitable Health Center, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
Mohamed Manji
Neurology, Ebrahim Haji Charitable Health Center, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
Alihussein Molloo
Inpatient, Ebrahim Haji Charitable Health Center, Tanzania.
Shaneabbas Jaffer
Internal medicine, Ebrahim Haji Charitable Health Center, Tanzania.
Mohamed Kawambwa
General Surgery, Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A cutaneous horn is conical projection of the skin and its soft tissue which is a result of a pathologic accumulation of material which is keratinized. There are numerous factors that are associated with cutaneous horns such as being male, increased age and lesion geometry. For people above the age of 50 years, the risk of malignant lesion is higher. A 21-year-old female presented to the clinic with a skin lesion on her back which had started 3 years ago. It began as a wound, which then progressed into a conical shaped swelling. On physical examination, it was 12 x 11 x 10 cm in size, hard, horny, fixed mass with irregular margins and heavy scarring located on the midline. X-ray and CT scan were done which showed no involvement of the spine. Wide surgical excision was done followed by skin grafting. The histology concluded that it was a cutaneous horn with early changes of verrucous carcinoma. She was then sent for radiotherapy.
Keywords: Case report, cutaneous horn, surgery, split thickness skin graft