Garima Gupta¹, Ruchi Sinha², Sulekha Pandey³, L. K. Pandey³

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Abstract:

Skin tags / acrochordons also known as fibroepithelial polyps are small benign tumors that form primarily in areas where the skin forms creases, such as neck, armpit and groin. They are harmless and typically painless, and do not grow or change over time. Giant skin tags at unusual locations have been rarely reported in literature. We present here the case of giant skin tag at labium majus which is a rare site for skin tags. To the best of our knowledge, it is one of the few largest skin tags reported over vulva.

Introduction

An acrochordon, also known as skin tag, is a small, soft, common, benign, usually pedunculated neoplasm that is found particularly in persons who are obese. Skin tags are skin colored, asymptomatic, pedunculated lesions located at neck, axillae or groin. Histopathologically, they are composed of loose collagen fibres and dilated capillaries. We are reporting a rare case of giant skin tag at an unusual site i.e. left labium majus in a 32 years old multiparous woman.

Case Report

A 32 years multiparous woman attended to the outpatient clinic with the complaint of a soft pedunculated fleshy mass 10 x 10 cm over left labium majus for 3 years. It was initially small in size but gradually increase to attain the present diameter. The lesion was asymptomatic.

On examination there was a large pedunculated fleshy mass measuring about 10 x 10 cm on left labium majus (Fig. 1).

Fig 1: Clinical photograph of Giant vulval skin tag

It was non-tender nodule attached to skin with a soft, thin stalk. It was slightly hyperpigmented. Given the soft consistency, pedunculated attachment to skin with free mobility, diagnosis of skin tag was made

Total excision of the mass with primary closure was performed under local anaesthesia and submitted for histopathological examination.

On histopathological examination cut section was homogenous, solid and myxoid. On microscopy, a stroma was hypocellular with loose and haphazardly arranged collage bundles with marked edema and myxoid changes. The stroma contained stellate shaped fibroblast and variable number of blood vessels (Fig 2 & 3). Epidermis was attenuated and thinned out.

Fig 2: Histopathology showing hypocellular stroma and myxoid changes (x100).

Fig 3: Histopathology showing stellate shaped fibroblast and blood vessels (x400).

Discussion

Skin tags are common in general population but it is very rare to find skin tags on unusual sites like one in our case. Skin tags, occur as multiple soft polypoid growths over flexural areas. These are benign tumors of skin with no propensity for malignant transformation. Common sites for skin tags include neck, axillae, eyelids and trunk. [1] Less common sites include groin, abdomen and back. Unusual locations reported include penis [2], vulva [3] and perineum [4]. Rarely the cases of skin tags over labia majora have been reported in literature [5,6]. The lesions are pedunculated and attached to skin with a soft lean fibrous stalk. They range in size from 1 mm to 1 cm [7]. Most are skin colored or pigmented. They do not produce symptoms unless inflamed or irritated. Etiology is unknown but they tend to occur in obese, middle aged patients with equal incidence in both sexes. Frequent irritation seems to be an important causative factor. Frictions against tight fitting clothes have also been connected with skin tags [8]. An association between skin tags and diabetes mellitus [9] insulin resistance [9], obesity [10], impaired carbohydrate and lipid metabolism has been suggested. Pregnancy is also a risk factor [11]. Hormonal imbalances may facilitate the development of acrochordons (high levels of Estrogen and Progesterone in pregnancy and increased level of Growth Hormone in acromegaly. Epidermal growth factor and -tissue growth factor have been implicated in their development. It has been reported to be associated with multiple systemic disorders like acromegaly [12], colonic polyps (Gardener syndrome) [13,14] and Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome [15].

Our patient was neither obese, nor associated with any of the systemic disorders mentioned above.

Conclusion

From this case the old maxim "it is more common for common diseases to present in uncommon ways at uncommon locations than the uncommon diseases to present in common ways" had proven true. Benign vulval tumors present mainly as asymptomatic swelling. It is histopathology which confirms their exact nature. To the best of our knowledge, it is one of the few largest skin tags reported over the vulva.

References

© 2012 Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal