Acquired trichostasis in postoperative site: a case report
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Published on: February 11, 2022
Deba P Sarma1, Benjamin A Maertins, Eric E Santos
1Department of Pathology, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68131, USA.
Introduction:
Usual causes of a papule or nodule in a post-operative site after resection of a skin tumor are residual or recurrent tumor, proliferative scar, or suture granuloma with inflammation and granulation tissue. Inverted or trapped hair, an acquired trichostasis, has not been implicated as a cause in such cases, this is probably the first case reported in literature.
Case Presentation:
A 31-year-old woman underwent an excision of a ruptured epidermal cyst of the left axilla. One month later, the previous excision site was re-excised secondary to a non-healing, inflamed papule in order to exclude recurrent epidermal cyst formation. Microscopic examination revealed that the cause of the papular lesion was acquired trichostasis, rather than a recurrent epidermal cyst.
Conclusion:
A papular or nodular lesion at a postoperative site may rarely be caused by acquired trichostasis and should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis.