acrochordon (skin tag)

Introduction

Very common, soft tan or brown, round or oval pedunculated benign skin neoplasm. Size varies from 1-10 mm.

Epidemiology

• more common in middle-age & elderly
• more common in females
• more common in obese individuals

Pathology

• thinned epidermis
• loose fibrous tissue stroma

Clinical manifestations

• generally asymptomatic
• may become tender following trauma or torsion
• distribution
  • frequently occur in intertriginous areas
    • axilla, breast fold beneath the breast, groin
  • neck
  • eyelids
• lesions tend to get larger & more numerous over time
• pregnancy enhances growth of skin tags

*images

Laboratory

• skin biopsy not needed

Differential diagnosis

• pedunculated seborrheic keratosis
• dermal or compound melanocytic nevus
• solitary neurofibroma
• molluscum contagiosum

Management

• cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen
• excision

More general terms

• skin neoplasm

Additional terms

• melanocytic nevus (mole)
• molluscum contagiosum
• neurofibroma
• papilloma (papillary tumor)
• seborrheic keratosis