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Dermatofibromas are benign growths that appear as hard lumps on the skin, often on the arms and legs. They are usually asymptomatic but can cause pain and itching. They are neoplastic and can recur if removed incompletely. Cryosurgery is a common treatment.
A dermatofibroma is a benign growth that looks and feels like a hard lump. These develop on the skin, usually on the arms and legs. While many dermatofibromas are asymptomatic, others can cause pain, tenderness, and itchy sensations and may need to be removed. Women are more likely to develop dermatofibromas than men, but why they develop is unknown.
Dermatofibromas are usually less than half an inch (0.125 cm) in diameter. Most people develop just one or two growths, but some people may develop a small group of growths. In rare cases, the number of growths may be equal to or more than ten. Dermatofibromas range in color from black, brown, blue, and purple to red, pink, orange, or yellow. Often the underlying pigment of the patient’s skin can affect the color of the growth. The growths that develop are usually hard to the touch and may feel tender or painful.
The appearance of a dermatofibroma on the skin is rarely a cause for alarm. There have been a very small number of cases where such a growth has been reported as malignant; however, these reports have been widely disputed. In all but these few cases, dermatofibromas are benign and cannot become cancerous.
Although the exact cause of dermatofibroma development is unknown, these growths are almost certainly neoplastic. The term neoplasm describes a growth that forms as a result of cellular changes that cause cells to divide and grow without being subject to the constraints of the normal cell cycle. In the case of dermatofibromas, the fact that these growths can recur in the same site even if removed shows that they are likely to be neoplastic.
Because dermatofibromas are benign and usually asymptomatic, they don’t need to be removed or treated. Some people may choose to have a dermatofibroma removed for cosmetic reasons. For growths that cause symptoms such as pain and tenderness, some form of treatment may be needed. This usually involves cryosurgery to remove the dermatofibroma. In this procedure the growth is simply frozen with dry ice and then removed.
These procedures are superficial, meaning the growth isn’t completely removed. Often only the top of the lump is cut or shaved off, which means it is possible for the lump to grow back. For complete removal, the entire lump and some of the subcutaneous fat surrounding it must be removed. This is a minor procedure that can usually be done in a doctor’s office with minimal risk of complications.
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