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Tumor with central crusting

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In just 6 weeks, a small, hard papule on the left cheek had become a prominent 2.1×1.8 cm well-circumscribed tumor.


 

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A 63-year-old man came into our dermatologic surgery clinic with a growth on his left cheek just anterior to his sideburn (FIGURE). Our patient indicated that the lesion, which appeared 6 weeks earlier, started as a small, hard papule with a central depression and rapidly grew to reach its current size and shape.

The patient’s face was sun damaged, and he had a prominent 2.1×1.8 cm well-circumscribed, skin-colored tumor on his cheek. The tumor had a central depression covered by a crust that appeared to conceal a deep keratinous plug. The tumor also had a volcano-like shape and was firm in texture, but tender to palpation and pressure. No lymphadenopathy was present.

The patient had a history of extensive sun exposure, and he’d had previous nonmelanoma skin cancers treated with various medical and surgical techniques. The rest of his history and exam were within normal limits. We performed a biopsy to confirm our clinical diagnosis.

FIGURE
Rapidly growing skin-colored tumor

This 63-year-old man had sun-damaged skin and a prominent 2.1×1.8 cm tumor on his left cheek. The tumor had a central crust, which seemed to conceal a deep keratinous plug.

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