Benign skin tumors : differentials

This table lists the clinical characteristics of commonly seen benign skin tumours in primary care for quick reference.

Tumor Type	Clinical Features	Common Sites
Seborrheic Keratosis	Waxy, "pasted-on" appearance, brown-to-black	Face, chest, back
Dermatofibroma	Firm, brown nodules, dimple sign	Legs
Lipoma	Soft, mobile, subcutaneous nodule	Trunk, extremities
Hemangioma	Bright red birthmark, rubbery bump	Anywhere
Cherry Angioma	Small, bright red papules	Trunk
Epidermoid Cyst	Smooth, mobile cysts under the skin	Trunk, neck, face
Neurofibroma	Soft, fleshy, skin-coloured or slightly darker nodules	Various
Pyogenic Granuloma	Small, reddish bump that bleeds easily	Hands, arms
Keloid	Overgrown scar, darker than surrounding skin	Any scar site
Digital Myxoid Cyst	Smooth, skin-colored bumps, commonly near nail beds	Digits
Acrochordon (Skin Tag)	Small, soft, skin-coloured growths	Eyelids, neck, armpits
Keratoacanthoma	Dome-shaped, keratin-filled growth, may resemble SCC	Sun-exposed areas

Reference: Luba MC, Bangs SA, Mohler AM, Stulberg DL. Common benign skin tumors. Am Fam Physician. 2003 Feb 15;67(4):729-38. PMID: 12613727.

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