Keratoacanthoma

Serving Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Grimsby and surrounding areas

Keratoacanthoma:

  • Is often mistaken as a boil or pimple initially
  • Grows very rapidly, usually over a period of a few weeks
  • Is a type of squamous cell carcinoma
  • Is thought to originate from a hair follicle
  • Is a skin cancer of intermediate severity
  • Does not spread internally
  • Is not lethal
  • Is caused by sun exposure, from many years before the cancer develops

Prevention of Keratoacanthoma, and other skin cancers:

  • Wear a hat with a broad brim and protective clothing (e.g. long sleeves)
  • Avoid the outdoors when the sun is strongest between the hours of 10 am to 3 pm
  • Use a sunscreen year round with an SPF of at least 30
  • Wear a sunscreen which resists water and sweating and which protects against both UVA and UVB
  • Reapply sunscreen every hour if you are in water or sweating heavily
  • Wear sunscreen even if you are in the shade, it is still possible to burn
  • Avoid tanning beds
    • The ultraviolet light tanning beds produce is known to cause skin cance

Electrodessication and Curettage (Small Keratoacanthoma):

  • The skin around the keratoacanthoma is injected with a local anesthetic to numb the area
  • The injection stings for a few seconds
    • After this, there is no pain or discomfort
  • The keratoacanthoma is removed from the skin in a scraping motion with an instrument called a curette
  • As the area is numb from the anesthetic, this process is not painful
  • The curetted area is then treated with electrocautery, a hot electric needle
    • This is not painful as the area is still numb
  • Electrocautery stops and bleeding and kills any residual cancer cells
  • The lesion is scraped and cauterized a total of 3 times in one visit
  • No stitches are required
  • Antibiotic and a bandage are used to cover the wound
  • The day after surgery, the bandage should be removed and a small amount of antibiotic should be be applied
    • This should occur twice daily site is healed
  • Redness, pain, swelling or a discharge from the wound may be a sign of infection
    • The doctor should be informed immediately
  • You may bathe, shower and do your normal activities unless the keratoacanthoma that has been removed is very large and there is a risk of the wound being damaged
    • The doctor will inform you about this
  • There is a small chance that the keratoacanthoma could grow back

Surgical Excision (All types of Keratoacanthoma):

  • The skin around the keratoacanthoma is injected with a local anesthetic to numb the area
  • The injection stings for a few seconds
    • After this, there is no pain or discomfort
  • The keratoacanthoma and a small amount of surrounding normal skin is cut with a scalpel and removed
  • As the area is numb from the anesthetic, this process is not painful
  • Stitches are used to close the opening
  • Antibiotic and a bandage are used to cover the wound
  • The day after surgery, the bandage should be removed and a small amount of antibiotic should be be applied
    • This should occur twice daily until the stitches are removed
  • Redness, pain, swelling or a discharge from the wound may be a sign of infection
    • The doctor should be informed immediately
  • The stitches are removed in 5 to 10 days
  • The removal of stitches is painless
  • You may bathe, shower and do your normal activities unless the keratoacanthoma that has been removed is very large and there is a risk of the wound being damaged
    • The doctor will inform you about this
  • There is a small chance that the keratoacanthoma could grow back

Radiation (All types of Keratoacanthoma):

  • To receive radiotherapy of a keratoacanthoma, the lesion must be biopsied (sampled) first
  • To do the biopsy:
    • The skin around the keratoacanthoma is injected with a local anesthetic to numb the area
    • The injection stings for a few seconds
      • After this, there is no pain or discomfort
    • A small portion of the keratoacanthoma is removed
    • As the area is numb from the anesthetic, this process is not painful
    • Stitches are usually not necessary to close the opening
    • The biopsied area is then treated with electrocautery, a hot electric needle
      • This is not painful as the area is still numb
    • The electrocautery is used to stop any bleeding
    • Antibiotic and a bandage are used to cover the wound
    • The day after surgery, the bandage should be removed and a small amount of antibiotic should be be applied for 1 week
    • Redness, pain, swelling or a discharge from the wound may be a sign of infection
      • The doctor should be informed immediately
    • If stitches were used, they are removed in 5 to 10 days
    • The removal of stitches is painless
    • You may bathe, shower and do your normal activities after the biopsy
  • Once the biopsy result is available, the doctor will make a referral to a radiation specialist
  • In Hamilton, the radiation treatments and specialists are located at the Juravinski Cancer Centre next to the Henderson General Hospital
  • The first visit with the radiation specialist is for an assessment only
  • If he or she agrees with your doctor that the lesion is suitable for radiation, treatments will be arranged
  • Most keratoacanthomas require 10 to 15 treatments
    • These are done daily, Monday to Friday over a period of 2 to 3 weeks
  • After the radiation is complete, the spot will become red, scabby and crusted
  • This will heal over the next few weeks
  • There is a small chance that the keratoacanthoma could grow back

Mohs Micrographic Surgery (Complicated Keratoacanthoma) :

  • Mohs micrographic surgery is a detailed surgical procedure to treat aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers, mainly on the face and neck
  • This treatment is usually reserved for the most complicated cases
  • For appropriate patients in the Hamilton area, referrals are made to the Mohs Centre at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto
  • Initially, the diagnosis must been confirmed with a biopsy (see above), prior to the referral being made

Would you like to see a Video Demonstration?

  • I am pleased to offer a new section on the website with video demonstrations of various procedures
  • To watch a video-clip in which Dr. V talks about:

Keratoacanthoma – Shoulder

Keratoacanthoma – Temple

Microdermabrasion to Prepare the Skin Before a Levulan PDT Treatment

Levulan being applied to the skin prior to PDT activation

Blue Light activation of Levulan during PDT Treatment

Blue Light activation of Levulan during PDT Treatment

Blue Light used to activate Levulan

IPL Machine – Used for Levulan activation in Levulan IPL-PDT

What if you are interested to learn more?

If you would like to learn more please phone the aesthetic centre directly at (905) 549-7873 to book a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable technicians or

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