Vulvar keratoacanthoma: a report of two cases

Keratoacanthomas are commonly encountered by dermatopathologists and general pathologists, and usually present as a rapidly growing crateriform lesion on sun exposed skin of the elderly. Because of its rarity in the vulva, this lesion can be mistaken for a malignant lesion, specifically the much more common squamous cell carcinoma. We report two cases of vulvar keratoacanthomas at our institution, one of which was initially diagnosed as a squamous cell carcinoma. Both patients are free of disease after follow-up of 14 and 138 months. Awareness of the occurrence of keratoacanthoma at this site and attention to its characteristic features will help avoid its misdiagnosis as squamous cell carcinoma.