An Innocent Horn: A Case Report of Giant Cutaneous Horn
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Lina Liana Ahmad Adni 1, Mohd Noor Norhayati 1 * , Juliawati Muhammad 1, Azuhairy Azid 2, Nik Abdul Muhaimin Nik Ramli 3
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1 Department of Family Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MALAYSIA2 Department of Orthopaedics, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Georgetown, Penang, MALAYSIA3 Department of Orthopaedics, Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, Sungai Petani, Kedah, MALAYSIA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous horns are not malignant per se. It is a rare, dark keratinized protrusion on the surface of the skin. The incidence and prevalence in general population is unknown. However, most cases occur in elderly aged 60 years and older.
Case Report: We reported an interesting case of an 80-year-old man who developed a giant cutaneous horn on a forearm which was gradually increasing in size over seven years. He was referred to our primary care clinic by a doctor who is involved in humanitarian mission in an old folk’s home who noticed a hornlike projection growth over his forearm. He was then referred to orthopedic department and underwent an excisional biopsy with adequate margin. Histology findings reported as prominent epithelial hyperplasia marked by hyperkeratosis and papillomatosis which indicates the lesion is caused by verruca vulgaris or a common wart. Such warts are usually benign which is caused by subtypes of human papilloma virus that are not associated with malignant transformatio n.
Conclusions: This is a rare case of giant cutaneous horn located on forearm of an elderly man. It’s highlighted that giant cutaneous horn is not always associated with malignancy especially when they are slow growing over a period of time. It also highlights the role of biopsies for skin lesions of uncertain aetiologies. In this case, it helped us to rule out squamous cell carcinoma, which can be a more locally invasive and destructive. Hence, early referral for excisional biosy and histopathological studies is mandatory for all cases.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Case Report

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 19, Issue 1, February 2022, Article No: em343

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/11414

Publication date: 11 Dec 2021

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