Pearly, pink protuberant tumor on the upper extremity

Presenter: Joseph Del Priore, DO

Dermatology Program: Western University/ Pacific Hospital

Program Director: David C. Horowitz, DO FACD

Submitted on: January 21, 2011

CHIEF COMPLAINT: Bump on arm

CLINICAL HISTORY: A 19-year-old male presented with a pink, shiny 3 cm protuberant nodule on his right upper extremity that grew rapidly over 2 months. A previous treatment of tea tree oil was tried.

PHYSICAL EXAM:
Solitary 3.2cm well-circumscribed, shiny pink nodule on the right upper arm that is hard and slightly painful upon palpation.

LABORATORY TESTS: N/A

DERMATOHISTOPATHOLOGY:

Histopathological examination showed sections of nests of cells, some of which presented with a basaloid appearance with regular crowded oval nuclei. There were also associated ghost cells with residual eosinophilic cytoplasm and without preserved nuclei. Scattered chronic inflammatory cells along with multinucleated giant cells and a focus of calcification were present. No evidence of malignancy was identified.