Quiz
Mixed diagnoses – 10 cases (3 of 11)

Skin tags (acrochordons) are soft pedunculated fibromas usually found on the neck, in the axillae or in the groins. They can be skin-coloured or pigmented, ranging from less than one millimetre up to 5 centimetres in diameter. They may be difficult to distinguish from pedunculated seborrhoeic keratoses, which are keratinocytic in origin.

Skin tags are very common but tend to be more numerous with aging and especially in obese subjects. High levels of tissue growth factors in pregnancy, acromegaly and some internal malignancies favour their growth. Some studies have implicated human papillomavirus infection and diabetes as co-factor in their development but others have disputed these associations.

As they are benign lesions, skin tags only need to be removed if they are irritated and become a nuisance or for cosmetic reasons. They can be removed using curved blade scissors, a scalpel or electrodessication. Small lesions can be successfully treated by cryotherapy: grip the lesion for a few seconds with sterile forceps that have been dipped in liquid nitrogen.