Keratoacanthoma: facts and controversies

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Keratoacanthoma (KA) presents with heterogeneous clinical and histological characteristics.
• Debate exists on whether KA is a benign entity or a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• Treatment is common, limiting observation of KA's natural history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of keratoacanthoma.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges in differentiating KA from squamous cell carcinoma.
• To emphasize the need for further research into KA's natural history and its relationship with SCC.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
• Analysis of clinical and histological heterogeneity of KA.
• Examination of diagnostic markers for differentiating KA from SCC.

Main Results:

• Keratoacanthoma exhibits significant heterogeneity, complicating classification.
• No reliable markers currently exist to definitively distinguish KA from SCC.
• The natural history of KA remains poorly understood due to frequent intervention.

Conclusions:

• The precise relationship between keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma remains unclear.
• Continued investigation is essential for accurate classification and understanding of KA.
• Distinguishing KA from SCC requires further research and potentially new diagnostic approaches.