Intended for healthcare professionals

Minerva

Minerva

BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e3209 (Published 09 May 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e3209
  1. Murtaza Khan, specialist registrar,
  2. Berty Dharma, consultant
  1. 1Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK
  1. murtaza.khan{at}nhs.net

A 69 year old man had a cystic scalp lesion that was excised in primary care. The specimen was not sent for histology because it was assumed to be benign. The lesion reappeared within a few weeks of surgery, and by the time the patient presented to the dermatologist, it measured 3.2×3 cm. A biopsy confirmed a malignant pilar tumour, which was completely excised by plastic surgeons. Although most cysts on the scalp are benign pilar cysts, histological analysis of every scalp sample is recommended.

Notes

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e3209

Footnotes

  • Patient consent obtained.

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