Minimally invasive surgical treatment of pilomatrixoma

Abstract

Background Pilomatrixoma is a benign skin tumour often presenting as a firm irregular mass in the paediatric population. The most common site is on the head and neck. Traditionally, a wide local excision has been the method of management. We propose an incision and curettage (I&C) technique for an improved cosmetic outcome. Methods A retrospective review of children who underwent I&C for pilomatrixoma was done between January 2010 and June 2020. The I&C technique involved making a small incision over or near the lesion in a discrete location such as behind the hairline and removing the tumour piecemeal. Four to six weeks of routine post‐operative follow‐up was conducted. Patients and families were also subsequently contacted via a survey to assess for late recurrence, any other complications and ascertain their level of satisfaction with the outcome. Results Twenty lesions were removed in 11 patients over this time with a female predominance (seven) and most lesions were on the face (11). No patients had a recurrence in a mean follow‐up time of 6 years (1–10 years). All parents are very satisfied with the cosmetic result. Conclusion I&C may be an effective and cosmetically pleasing method to removing pilomatrixoma.