PILOMATRICOMA IN CHILDREN - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Pilomatricoma is a skin appendage tumor that frequently involves the s kin of the head, neck, and upper extremities in young children. In thi s prospective study, we present and discuss the characteristics of our patients with pilomatricoma. During the years 1984 to 1994, 15 childr en (9 girls and 6 boys) with pilomatricoma were admitted to our servic e. Their ages ranged from 3 to 13 years (mean age 9 years). All of the lesions of these patients were excised totally. On histopathologic ex amination, calcification was found in all of the specimens, No invasio n or malignancy was observed by light microscopy, All patients have be en followed up periodically by the same surgeons. Interestingly, we fo und two familial occurrences and four multiple occurrences. Although o ur series was too small for accurate statistical evaluation, multiple and familial occurrences of pilomatricoma (26.7% and 13.3%, respective ly) were higher than in previously reported series.