title: Cutaneous horn: a potentially malignant entity.
abstract: A cutaneous horn is a conical, dense, hyperkeratotic protrusion that often appears similar to the horn of an animal. It is a morphologic designation referring to an unusually cohesive keratinized material, not a true pathologic diagnosis. Cutaneous horns occur in association with, or as a response to, a wide variety of underlying benign, pre-malignant, and malignant cutaneous diseases. The most important common concern is distinguishing a hyperkeratotic actinic keratosis from a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Keratoacanthoma is another cause, as illustrated herein as a projective cutaneous tumor with a fingernail-like appearance. The treatment of choice for cutaneous horns is shave excision with subsequent histopathologic evaluation to rule out underlying malignancy and to guide potential further therapy.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Pathology, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
authors.forename: Neil F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Smeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: W Clark
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007636:Keratoacanthoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D007642:Keratosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D055623:Keratosis, Actinic / Q000175:diagnosis