Zeitschrift für klinische und experimentelle Dermatologieforschung
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Giant Cutaneous Horn in Afro-Brazilian Descendent Patient: Case Report and Literature Review

Carlos Augusto Gomes, Maria Christina Marques Nogueira Castanõn, Camila Couto Gomes, Pilar Mottinha Campanha, Thaís de Carvalho Vilela, Fernanda Souza Sampaio and Felipe Daldegan Diniz

Cutaneous horn is the clinical diagnosis of hyperproliferation of compact keratin in the epidermis. It is presented as a conical projection of hyperkeratotic skin, often yellowish, which can be straight, curved or twisted and occurs in response to benign or malignant structural changes in the skin. Found most frequently in Caucasian, its giant clinical form is less common, especially in African-descendent patients. We report the case of a giant cutaneous horn in a female, 41 years old, Afro-Brazilian descendent patient, who has arrived at the dermatology ambulatory with a horn-like tumor located in the right parietal scalp with two years of evolution. She underwent to the surgical resection with a safety margin of 0.5cm and partial approximation of the skin flaps to allow healing by secondary intention. Histopathology has shown a completed excised lesion, diagnosed as cutaneous horn, over an area of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient has an uneventful recovery. A review of literature about the issue was undertaken and aspects of its epidemiology, associated disease, biologic behavior and treatment are discussed.