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Epithelial neoplasms are abnormal growths of skin cells that can be benign or malignant. They can occur due to genetic abnormalities or exposure to environmental factors. Benign neoplasms grow slowly and have well-defined edges, while malignant ones grow faster and invade surrounding tissue. Diagnosis may require imaging studies or surgical removal. Treatment for malignant neoplasms depends on the location and extent of metastasis.
When skin cells replicate out of control, health care professionals refer to the unusual growth as an epithelial adenoma or neoplasm. Epithelial cells are found on the skin, in glands, organs and vascular tissues, and in the lining of body cavities. Abnormal growths can form anywhere on the body and can be benign or malignant. Treatment of benign neoplasms depends on the symptoms, but doctors prefer to treat malignant neoplasms more aggressively, in order to inhibit metastasis, if possible.
The genetic codes in some cells do not contain the same division rules found in normal cells. Instead of reproducing for repair or replacement purposes, a skin cell can continue to divide and grow beyond what is normal, becoming an epithelial neoplasm. The unusual growth can occur as a result of an inherited trait or exposure to environmental factors that include chemicals or radiation. Viruses can also contribute to genetic cell abnormalities. These growths can be firm or hard to the touch and can vary in color and size.
Examples of benign epithelial neoplasms include simple moles on the skin and more complex uterine fibroid tumors. Benign neoplasms grow slowly as they push normal tissue away. These growths typically have well-defined edges and are usually confined within a capsule. Under microscopic examination, the cells within the mass may resemble those in the surrounding tissue. Depending on the size of the neoplasm, it may include its own blood vessel system.
Malignant neoplasms, unlike benign ones, usually have poorly defined borders, because the neoplasm often invades surrounding tissue, mixing normal cells with distinctly different ones. These tumors grow at a much faster rate than benign abnormalities, which have sometimes existed for years without a diagnosis. Often, malignant masses have a combination of actively growing and dead cells and can show bleeding, inflammation, and infection. The malignant cells invade the normal tissues of the glands, blood and lymph vessels, and muscles. Multiple growths can appear in the same area, but cells can also metastasize, breaking away from the original tumor and traveling through the bloodstream and lymphatic system, attaching themselves and growing in other areas.
Although a benign epithelial neoplasm is not usually dangerous, it may cause discomfort or interfere with organ function as the mass compresses the surrounding tissue. Diagnosing and distinguishing between types of malignancies may require imaging studies, needle biopsies, or surgical removal of part of the abnormal growth. Surgeons can remove a benign epithelial neoplasm that has become a nuisance, but malignant masses usually require more than the type of therapy, depending on the location and extent of the metastasis.
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