BACKGROUND: Pilomatricoma (calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe) represents approximately 1% of all benign skin tumors. The aim of this retrospective study was to review the clinical and histopathological characteristics of this lesion in patients presenting to the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Pathology of a general hospital. METHODS: Data regarding 68 lesions in 56 patients were reviewed. All patients underwent surgical excision of the tumors. The medical records were reviewed for gender, age, lesion location and size, preoperative diagnosis, recurrence, and particular histopathological characteristics. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (55.4%) were male and 25 (44.6) female. The lesions were distributed in the face (42.4%), upper limbs (19.7%), trunk (13.6%), lower limbs (12.1%), neck (9.1%), and scalp (3.1%). In one patient, the condition recurred following the first surgical treatment. Another patient had multiple presentation of her lesions, that appeared in several locations and five different occasions. A third patient was diagnosed with proliferating pilomatricoma. All neoplasms were benign lesions. Pilomatricomas were clinically diagnosed by the surgeons only in 19.7% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Pilomatricoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nodules, especially those on the head and neck. Careful clinical examination and familiarity with the condition may lead to accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Pilomatrixoma; Skin neoplasms; Hair diseases
