Proliferating Pilar Tumors in the Scalp Over a Period of 23 Years in a General Hospital in Mexico City

Abstract

BACKGROUND Proliferating pilar tumors are an unusual skin tumor, and they have a cystic component with trichilemmal keratinization and epithelial proliferation. These arise from the outer root sheath of hair follicles. It mainly affects women. The scalp is the most affected area. Diagnosis can be made by biopsy. Surgical excision is the best treatment option. OBJECTIVE Report the frequency of proliferating pilar tumors in the scalp in general hospital in Mexico over a period of 23 years. METHODS The authors reviewed the database of the dermatopathology service of the General Hospital "Dr Manuel Gea González" from 1999 to August 2022, selecting diagnosticated cases of proliferating pilar tumor, pilar cyst, trichilemmal cyst, or proliferating trichilemmal cyst in the scalp. RESULTS The authors discovered 17 cases, 13 were women, the average age was 54.9 years, all the tumors affecting the scalp, and just 3 cases were reported as malignant. CONCLUSION In comparison with the existing data, the authors can observe that most of their patients were women and the scalp is the most affected area. Most did not present associated symptoms. As the authors can see, most are benign and long-lasting: however, the authors cannot ignore that a small percentage can be malignant.