PERFORATING PILOMATRICOMA

We present two cases of perforating pilomatricoma (PP) and a review of the literature. An otherwise healthy 70-year-old man presented a smal l, exophytic, rapidly ulcerating nodule on the upper lip. The second c ase refers to an 83-year-old woman with an erythematous, eroded nodule on her left cheek. On histologic examination both cases showed a typi cal pilomatricoma (PT) with features of transepithelial elimination (T EE). PT is a rare, benign, adnexal tumor with hair matrix differentiat ion. Usually single, it can be multiple in association with Steinert's myotonia. A thorough review of the literature shows that the perforat ing variant of PT is rarely described and it has peculiar clinical and histopathologic features as a result of the TEE aspect of the tumoral mass. The significance of this phenomenon is still unclear, though it is believed to be a spontaneous healing process in PTs.