Giant Keratoacanthoma Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma
in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Beata Zagórska; Karol Kołkowski; Martyna Sławińska; Wojciech Biernat; Waldemar Placek

doi:10.5114/dr.2025.155632

eISSN: 2084-9893
ISSN: 0033-2526

Dermatology Review/Przegląd Dermatologiczny

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4/2025
vol. 112

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abstract:

Case report

Giant Keratoacanthoma Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Beata Zagórska

^{1, 2}

,

Karol Kołkowski

^{2, 3}

,

Martyna Sławińska

¹

,

Wojciech Biernat

⁴

,

Waldemar Placek

²

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
Derm-Art, Training, Scientific and Research Center of Aesthetic Dermatology, Photodermatology and Dermatosurgery, Gdynia, Poland
Department of Plastic Surgery, University Clinical Center, Gdańsk, Poland
Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland

Dermatol Rev/Przegl Dermatol 2025, 112, 249–252

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/dr.2025.155632

Online publish date: 2025/10/30

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Introduction
Keratoacanthoma is a rapidly growing tumor that typically reaches a final size of 10 to 25 millimeters within 6 months. Giant keratoacanthoma is a rare variant, exceeding 20 mm in size. It is more commonly diagnosed in men, with a peak occurrence in the fifth decade of life. The most frequent location is the skin of the face and neck.

Case report
This report presents the case of a 57-year-old patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia, who developed a large, rapidly growing tumor located in the interscapular area. Due to a clinical suspicion of squamous cell carcinoma, the lesion was excised with a margin of macroscopically normal tissue.

Conclusions
Giant keratoacanthomas, due to their atypical clinical course and rarity, may pose diagnostic challenges. In the differential diagnosis, mainly cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma should be considered. The treatment of choice is surgical excision with histopathological evaluation.

keywords:

differential diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma, skin tumor, keratoacanthoma

Indeks osobowy

Giant Keratoacanthoma Mimicking Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Beata Zagórska 1, 2 , Karol Kołkowski 2, 3 , Martyna Sławińska 1 , Wojciech Biernat 4 , Waldemar Placek 2

differential diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma, skin tumor, keratoacanthoma

Beata Zagórska

^{1, 2}

,

Karol Kołkowski

^{2, 3}

,

Martyna Sławińska

¹

,

Wojciech Biernat

⁴

,

Waldemar Placek

²