title: Keratoacanthoma: a distinct entity?
abstract: Keratoacanthoma (KA) are common but exceptional benign tumors, often appearing on sun-exposed areas of light skinned people and showing spontaneous resolution. The goal of this study was to review existing literature, to point out the etiological complexity of KA biology and to answer the controversial debate if or not KA is a distinct entity or a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Relying on recent results, we highlight that KA is an individual lesion with a unique molecular signature caused by alterations in the TGFβ signalling pathway. These recent findings will help to understand the nature of KA and to develop new reliable diagnostic tools, simplifying the discrimination of the histologically similar KA and SCC.
authors.affiliation: Service of Dermatology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gleich
authors.affiliation: Service of Dermatology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiticariu
authors.affiliation: Service of Dermatology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Service of Dermatology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hohl
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007636:Keratoacanthoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I
keywords: TGF
  β; keratoacanthoma; paradoxical activation; squamous cell carcinoma; tumor