A Family Doctor's Tale - SKIN POLYP

DOC I HAVE A SKIN POLYP


Skin polyps are very common in women in a family practice.
In most cases the polyps are around the neck and occurs usually after the age of 40 years. There may be many polyps growing at the same time. There is no danger in the presence of the polyps but of course they post an aesthetic problems for the patients. Sometimes I have to remove 20 of them at one time under local anesthetic.

Skin Polyp is a benign tumor with soft round body rising on a stalk from the skin surface.

They are often called skin tags.

Skin polyp usually occur in middle age.

Skin Polyp is more common in women than in men.

Polyps can also be found all over the body especially areas where the skin forms creases, such as the neck, armpits and groin.

Some may found on the eyelids.

Skin Polyp is a well encapsulated round swelling rising from the skin on a stalk called the peduncle.

The cause of formation of skin polyps is unknown but may be related to:

1.Age

2.Obesity

3.hereditary

Symptoms :

1.slow growing round soft tissue swelling on a stalk rising from the skin

2.mutiple swellings may also be present.

3.Usually painless

Signs:

1.swelling is well demarcated and rounded

2.there is a stalk or peduncle attached to it.

3.soft on palpation

4.Microscopic examination shows the presence of a fibrovascular core together with fat cells and nerve cells covered by skin.


The skin polyp can be irritated by shaving, clothing or jewellery.

There can be :
1. bleeding

2. infection especially in diabetes

The only treatment is removal of the skin Polyp.

This can be done by :

1.Excision with a scalpel

2.Cauterization: with cautery instrument

3.Cryosurgery (freezing with liquid nitrogen)

4.Ligation with a sterile thread: by cutting off blood supply to the polyp

Small Polyps may left alone if they are slow growing and does not impinge on the nearby organs.

The prognosis is usually excellent.

Recurrence at the smae spot is rare but do occur due to regrowth of the blood vessel supplying the Polyp.