Malignant proliferating trichilemmal tumor of the scalp with secondary infection in an elderly man

Abstract

A 65-year-old man presented with the complaints of a growth on the scalp, which ruptured spontaneously leading to bleeding and foul smelling discharge associated with severe pain. Examination revealed ulceroproliferative growth with slough and surrounding induration, infested with maggots. Histopathological examination revealed proliferating trichilemmal tumor (PTT) with secondary infection. Wide excision of the tumor was done with 1 cm margin all around it. PTT is a benign neoplasm that can rarely undergo malignant transformation thought to originate from trichilemmal cyst. Malignant PTT (MPTT) predominantly affects the scalp, eyelids, neck, and face and the treatment recommended being a wide local excision.

Keywords

• Cyst
• malignant
• proliferating
• trichilemmal
• tumor