Keratoacanthoma is a fast growing skin malignancy that appears as a volcano-shaped bump on the skin, mostly as a result of chronic sun exposure. The condition mostly affects the middle-aged and elderly persons.

Earlier keratoacanthoma was considered as benign stage of skin cancer but some of these growths were seen to have transformed into squamous cell carcinoma.

After intensive research keratoacanthoma has been regarded as a cancerous growth.

The growth, resembling pimple, has keratin (protein which is found in hair and nails) as its centre.

Who is at risk?

Keratoacanthoma can mostly occur in elderly and those having a light skin after, frequent exposure to sun. Following are the factors, which give rise to the risk of Keratoacanthoma:

Person above 50 years of age

Individuals with fair skin, light hair or those having light eyes

Male

Frequent sun exposure

Exposure to tar and certain carcinogenic substances and chemicals

Skin's exposure to radiation (as in case of X-ray treatment for cancers in the internal organ of the body)

Prolonged suppression of the immune system (as in case of organ transplantation).

Prolonged existence of scars such as that resulting from gasoline burn. This is one of the common cause for Keratoacanthoma.

Chronic ulceration

Previous history of skin cancer

Presence of warts in the skin

Keratoacanthoma Symptoms

Keratoacanthoma most commonly occurs at central portion of the face, back of the hands, forearms, ears and scalp.

Lower legs, particularly in women can also the common location of Keratoacanthoma.

Rapid growth of Keratoacanthoma takes place within 2 to 6 weeks after it appears on the skin.

It initially becomes apparent in the form of a small and pimple-like lesion and later turns into a dome-shaped nodule having color similar to that of skin. Its central depression contains keratin.

Size of Keratoacanthoma usually varies from 1 cm to 2.5 cm.

Multiple Keratoacanthomas that may appear in rare cases form a larger group of symptoms.

In many cases, Keratoacanthomas does not cause pain, though in some cases it may cause itchiness.

The extent of interference of Keratoacanthoma with normal function of the affected area largely depends upon the site of its involvement.

Self-Care Guidelines

No self-care measure has so far proved to be effective in treatment of keratoacanthoma. However, prevention of sun damage is essential to avoid the occurrence of keratoacanthoma:

Don't expose yourself to ultraviolet (UV) light of sun or artificial tanning devices, considering its harmful effect.

While going outdoor it is essential for you use broad-spectrum sunscreens with 30 or more.

Before venturing out under the sun it is also necessary to put on wide brimmed hats and shirts with long sleeves. This is one of the effective natural cure for Keratoacanthoma.

Keep away from sun exposure in the afternoon hours.

When to see a doctor?

See a doctor if you notice development of a new bump or lesion on your skin after frequent sun exposure.

Consult your physician or dermatologist if you have a bleeding spot, which is not healing.

Also make an appointment with your doctor in case you observe changes in size, shape, color or texture of any existing spot.

Consult your doctor if the spot starts bleeding or itching or becoming painful to touch.

Make your doctor aware of the symptoms and also lesion that you had noticed first. Apprise your doctor of your family history of skin cancer.

Diagnosis

In many cases keratoacanthoma spontaneously vanishes within 6 months with or without treatment, leaving a scar.

However, it may lead to a considerable damage to the skin and harm underlying layers of tissue besides causing psychological distress.

Keratoacanthoma rarely spreads or invades aggressively below the skin level and affects the lymph glands. Therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment are essential.

Your doctor may think of performing biopsy (microscopic examination of the skin sample) to correctly diagnose your condition. The small piece of skin can be sampled with numbing the skin through anesthetic injection.

Keratoacanthoma Treatment

After correct diagnosis of keratoacanthoma, following treatment options can be tried:

Cryosurgery: It involves process of destroying keratoacanthoma after freezing it with spray of cold liquid nitrogen.

Electrodesiccation and curettage: This is also called "scrape and burn." The cancerous cells on the skin are scraped away with numbing of the lesion. This is followed

After numbing the lesion, the doctor uses a sharp instrument (curette) to "scrape" the skin cancer cells away. After this the tissue is burnt or cauterized with the help of an electric needle. Apart from destroying cancerous cells, electrodesiccation helps stop any bleeding at the affected skin.

Removal (excision): In this type of method a knife-like instrument, called scalpel is used for cutting out keratoacanthoma. The wound edges are then brought together through stitches.

Mohs micrographic surgery: This technique is used for taking out tiny slivers of the skin in the site of cancer. This technique can be especially effective for cancerous growths on nose, ears, lips and the hands.

Radiation therapy: Radiation or X-ray therapy can be useful for those for whom surgical procedure can not be adopted due to certain health issues.

Medicine: Keratoacanthoma are rarely treated with injection of medicine into the skin lesion. The process is called intralesional chemotherapy. For patients with multiple keratoacanthoma, the doctor may advice to take a pill (isotretinoin) for reduction of size and number of keratoacanthomas.

Note: Remember that keratoacanthoma treatment is not over even after removal of the skin cancer. Follow-up treatments and medical check-ups are essential to avoid recurrence of keratoacanthoma and development of new skin cancer elsewhere in the body.