Benign Skin Lesions – Cysts – Lipomas
They are benign lesions of the skin and soft tissues.
They appear as small or large lumps, usually grow slowly, are painless and will not regress if not treated properly. Many patients choose to have them removed for aesthetic reasons, or because they functionally interfere with the anatomical area where they appear.
In some cases, in tumors larger than 3 centimeters (a ping-pong ball), depending on their location and clinical picture, preoperative imaging with ultrasound is necessary, and if and when necessary, FNA (fine needle aspiration biopsy) and MRI to exclude malignant soft tissue development.
Cysts and lipomas are removed under local anesthesia in the office, with minimal recovery time, without hospitalization and interruption of daily activities.
A skin cyst, or epidermal cyst, is a benign skin tumor that most commonly appears on the face, ears, neck, trunk, and genitals; in fact, however, there is no part of the body where cysts have not occurred.
They grow slowly and are usually painless, but many patients choose to have them removed, either for cosmetic reasons or because they are functionally troublesome in their location. They appear as a lump, a bump under the skin, and may have a central black spot. Usually, this is a point of contact with the area outside the skin, from where germs can enter the cyst and develop inflammation. In this case, the cyst is painful, red, and the area is warm. When cells from the surface layer of the skin, the epidermis, penetrate a little deeper into the skin, they multiply, create the wall of the cyst, and begin to produce keratin. In other cases, cysts develop from a sebaceous gland of a hair follicle, whose excretory duct, which brings sebum to the surface of the skin, has become blocked.
The cyst is surgically removed. It is very important to remove the entire wall of the cyst, otherwise it is likely to recur. Be careful not to force the cyst to burst, because this often happens inward and results in expansion and worsening of the inflammation.
Lipomas are usually benign tumors that form in the subcutaneous tissue and are caused by the rapid proliferation of adipose tissue cells. The main causes of their appearance are genetic or heredity. As lipomas are mostly harmless, no treatment is required. In the case where they absolutely must be treated, then the only solution is their surgical removal. This procedure is recommended in cases where lipomas cause pain or numbness or are located near joints, making movement difficult.
Lipoma removal is generally a simple procedure and is performed through a small incision the size of the lipoma. Small lipomas can be removed under local anesthesia, while larger ones may require general anesthesia. Regardless of the size of the lipoma, a biopsy should always be performed after surgical removal.
Papillomas are benign skin tumors. They are also colloquially called “moles”, but they have nothing to do with skin “olives” (skin moles). They are small, round, sessile or stalked growths of the skin. Their surface is smooth or warty (like cauliflower). They are usually skin-colored but can be brown or even dark brown. They are caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), the viruses that cause warts and genital warts. However, they are not as contagious. They can multiply and spread in the same person after rubbing or injuring the area. The main HPV viruses that cause papillomas are HPV 6 and HPV 11. These are essentially low-risk viruses. The removal of papillomas is mainly done for cosmetic reasons.
Laser papilloma removal is the most modern and effective papilloma treatment that leads to complete elimination of existing lesions.
Seborrheic keratosis is a benign (non-cancerous) skin lesion, causally related to a hereditary predisposition. It is characterized by a thickening of the most superficial part of the epidermis, called the stratum corneum. At this level, the cells are particularly loaded with keratin, a protein that gives them a dry and very hard appearance. In some cases, there is an abnormal aggregation of keratin, resulting in the creation of plaques of dry skin covered with crusts. Seborrheic keratosis are not transmitted from person to person and are asymptomatic lesions. Occasionally, after injury, they may present itching, bleeding, pain, redness or crusting.
The main removal methods are:
