Lumps & Bumps

1. Warts

These skin lesions are caused by the HPV virus and can be contagious.  Warts are generally small, rough growths that can be found all over the body and come in several forms:

• Common Warts: Grainy or rough growths with rounded tops, often found on hands and fingers.

• Plantar Warts: Flat and often painful, these are often found on the soles of the feet.

• Flat Warts: Smaller, smooth, and often multiple are found in clusters. They are usually skin coloured or slightly reddish-brown

• Filiform Warts: Multiple finger-like projections growing from 1 lesion, often on the face – such as the eyelid.
• Genital Warts: Skin-colored or pink growths that may resemble cauliflower.

Treatment Options:

• Salicylic acid (often paired with duct tape treatment).
• Cryotherapy (freezing the wart off).
• Intralesional immunotherapy (injecting medications to boost immune response).
• Cautery and curettage (burning and scraping the wart).
• Preventative options: HPV vaccination (this will significantly decrease your likelihood of developing anogenital warts).

2. Epidermoid Cysts

• Appearance: Small, round, and under the skin, it can sometimes have a black centre to it.
• Cause: Dead skin cells that collect under the surface instead of shedding.
• Common Areas: Hairy parts of the body like the scalp or groin, as well as upper chest and upper back.
• Treatment options: 
•         1. Steroid injection to decrease inflammation
•         2. Incision and drainage of contents
•         3. Excision of cyst

3. Lipomas

• Appearance: Soft, movable lumps under the skin, can sometimes be very large.
• Cause: Fatty tissue buildup.
• Key Fact: Usually harmless but can be removed if they grow large or cause discomfort.
• Treatment options:
•         1. Excision
•         2. Liposuction

4. Sebaceous Cysts

• Appearance: smooth rounded lumps under the skin
• Cause: Usually due to a problem with a sebaceous gland and fills with a yellowish oily substance, it may grow large if infected or irritated.
• Treatment options: 
•         1. Steroid injection to decrease inflammation
•         2. Incision and drainage of contents
•         3. Excision of cyst

5. Actinic Keratoses (AK)

• Appearance: Scaly usually raised patches caused by sun damage, sometimes bleed
• Cause: usually the result of long term sun exposure
• Common areas: face, scalp, ears, neck, back of hands and forearms
• Why It Matters: These are precancerous lesions, therefore they should be managed and monitored
• Treatment: 
•         1. Cryotherapy (freezing the lesions off)
•         2. Topical medicated creams
•         3. Curretage (scrapping the lesions off)
•         4. Ablative laser therapy
•         5. Laser therapy
• Prevention: Sunscreen, protective clothing – including hats

6. Seborrheic Keratoses

• Appearance: Waxy, brownish growths. Sometimes described as ‘pressed raisins’.
• Key Fact: Completely benign and common with aging.
• Treatment options:
•       1. Cryotherapy
•       2. Curretage
•       3. Electrocautery
•       4. Medical grade shaving

7. Skin Tags

• Appearance: Small, soft, usually skin-colored or darker coloured growths that can appear anywhere on the skin, but more commonly on the neck, breasts, groin, eyelids and underarms areas.
• Causes: Friction or irritation, as well as genetics. It can also be suggestive of metabolic impairments such as insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
• Treatment: 
•      1. Cryotherapy
•      2. Electrocautery
•      3. Snipping