Skin Lesions

What are the skin lesions?

Skin lesions are relatively common. They can be benign conditions like sebaceous cysts, lipoma and neurofibromas or malignant like basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma.

The 3 main types of skin cancer, they are related to the type of skin cells where the cancer occurs. They are:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)—a type of skin cancer that develops in the basal cells of the top layer (epidermis) of the skin.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)—begins in the squamous cells, which are found in several places in the body including the top layer (epidermis) of the skin, in the main airways of the lung and in the cervix.
• Melanoma—a tumour of melanin-forming cells, especially a malignant tumour associated with skin cancer.

How skin lesions are treated?

Benign skin lesions are usually removed with excision of lesion and primary closure of wound. Very large lipomas can sometime need a drain.

Skin cancers are usually excised with primary closure of wound or closure with a skin flap. Large cancers or cancer in certain locations may need skin graft to close the defect. Some cancer like SCC and melanoma can spread to lymph node and may need biopsy of lymph node (sentinel lymph node biopsy). In certain situation they may need clearance of local nodal basins and adjuvant therapy like radiation therapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.