Clear Cell Acanthoma

Clear Cell Acanthoma

 

Key Points
Rare, benign epithelial skin tumor
Exact cause is unknown
Consists of a raised, shiny dome or nodule, commonly red, with scaling around the edges

Clear cell acanthoma is a very rare benign skin tumor, epithelial in nature. It generally consists of a solitary lesion, but in rare cases multiple lesions may occur. Clear cell acanthoma consists of a raised, shiny dome or nodule, usually occurring on the lower legs. The lesion can be of pink to brown color variation, but is usually a dark red. Lesions can be anywhere from 3-20mm in size, and will develop scaling around the edges.

The cause of Clear Cell Acanthoma is unknown, and the condition is very rare. It occurs generally in middle-aged and older adults, and affects both genders equally.

Differential Diagnosis (Other conditions with similar appearance)

Dermatofibroma
Inflamed seborrheic keratosis
Pyogenic granuloma
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinom
Verruca vulgaris
Melanoma

Diagnosis
Key Points
Initial diagnosis based on lesion appearance
Skin Biopsy must be performed to confirm diagnosis and rule out other, similar appearing conditions

Clear cell acanthoma is usually initially diagnosed based on the initial appearance of the lesion, at which time health care professionals will perform skin biopsy to determine if the lesion is benign, or if it is a similar appearing cancerous condition.

Treatment
As the lesion is benign, no treatment is necessary
*Lesions can be easily excised

Clear cell acanthoma is benign, and thus no treatment is required. However, if bleeding from trauma or cosmetic concerns become an issue, the lesion is easily excised via surgical procedure.