An ode to Jimmy Buffett…I have been getting a lot of questions from patients about this extremely rare malignancy. In my entire career I have only had 3 to 4 cases. Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) was originally described by Toker in 1972. The cell of origin is the Merkel cell, which is a slow-acting mechanoreceptor… Read more »
Keratoacanthomas (KA) are rapidly growing papules that can enlarge from a 1 mm macule or papule to as large as 2.5 cm lesion in 3-8 weeks. Fully developed they are hemispheric, dome-shaped, skin colored nodules which often demonstrate a smooth crater filled with a central keratin plug. The smooth portion of the KA is often… Read more »
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. It is locally aggressive and generally does not metastasize. They often are pearly plaques, and have been described as “rodent ulcers” such as the first image demonstrates with a classic central area of ulceration and rolled pearly margins. The second image is a… Read more »