Multibranched acquired periungual fibrokeratomas with confounding histopathologic findings resembling papillomavirus infection: a report of two cases

Acquired ungual fibrokeratoma: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Acquired ungual fibrokeratomas (AUFKs) are benign recurrent fibrokeratotic tumors of the nail unit of uncertain etiology. Little is known about the optimal modality to successfully treat these lesions. No systematic review addressing ungual fibrokeratomas has been published to date.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to summarize all the published data regarding diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of AUFKs.

METHODS

On August 9, 2019, a systematic search of Medline and Cochrane databases was conducted. All the studies describing the treatment of ungual fibrokeratomas, procedure description, pathological findings, outcome, and follow-up period were included in this review.

RESULTS

After full-text article review, 103 articles were included, representing a total of 78 lesions. The commonly used treatments for fibrokeratomas were complete tumor resection (90.5%), shave excision (8.3%), and cryotherapy (1.2%). Complete surgical excision yielded the highest cure rate among all treatment modalities (90.8%) compared to partial surgical excision (28.6%) and cryotherapy (0%). The mean follow-up period was 12.1 months (1-144).

CONCLUSION

Complete surgical removal preserving the matrix showed the highest cure rates and should be considered as first-line treatment for AUFKs. Future adequately designed randomized control trials are warranted to compare different treatment modalities.

Recurrent Familial Digital Fibrokeratoma: A Case Report

Digital fibrokeratoma (DF) is an uncommon, benign, soft tissue tumor. It usually occurs sporadically in adult males, and its recurrence is rare when treated by means of surgical removal. To the best of our knowledge, we report here the first case of recurrent female familial DF. The mother's first DF, on her right hallux, was removed when she was 32 years of age, and her second fibrokeratoma, on the left fifth toe, was removed when she was 49 years of age, and then relapsed 3 years later. The daughter's first DF, on her left fifth toe, was excised when the daughter was 24 years of age and recurred 1 year later. Both the mother's and daughter's recurrent lesions were surgically excised and pathologically diagnosed as DF. Because both the mother's and daughter's DF occurred at relatively early ages, we believe that genetic factors might play a role in the tumorigenesis of DF in this family.

Acquired digital fibrokeratoma: review of its clinical and dermoscopic features and differential diagnosis

Acquired digital fibrokeratoma (ADFK) is a rare, benign, fibrous tumor that most often occurs on fingers. It may resemble a rudimentary supernumerary digit and is often misdiagnosed as another common benign condition, such as common wart. It is typically asymptomatic and occurs as a solitary nodule less than 1 cm in diameter. Oftentimes ADFK shares clinical and/or histologic resemblance with other benign and malignant cutaneous conditions so it is crucial that careful examination is undertaken. In this article, we will discuss the clinical presentation, epidemiology, etiology, dermoscopic and histologic findings, management, and differential diagnoses for ADFK, with the hope that this review will facilitate timely diagnosis and management for this distinct condition.

Relationship between Human Papilloma Virus and Subungual Keratoacanthoma: Two Case Reports and the Outcomes of Surgical Treatment

Subungual keratoacanthoma (SUKA) is a rare form of keratoacanthoma, with the majority of the lesions appearing as rapidly growing, painful hyperkeratotic masses located under the distal nail plate of the thumb. In some cases, SUKA causes damage to the underlying bone. The first case presented here was treated by surgical excision alone, and human papilloma virus (HPV) type 6 was detected in the tissue samples. The second case was treated by surgical excision plus curettage; however, HPV was not detected, and tumor cells were not found in the curettage material. There was near complete improvement in both the clinical appearance and the distal phalanx destruction, with no recurrence at the final follow-up in either patient (30 and 14 months, respectively). Overall, simple excision alone or in combination with curettage seemed to be sufficient in the treatment of SUKA; however, the etiopathogenetic role of HPV in SUKA remains controversial, as in its classical form.