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Acrochordons - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment - Fibrofolliculomas Trichodiscomas

Alternative names :: Skin tag, Cutaneous skin tags and Papillomas

What is  Acrochordons ?

Acrochordons are small growths of skin that some people develop on the face, neck, armpits, and the groin. Acrochordons is a common, benign condition which consists of a bit of skin that projects from the surrounding skin and may appear attached to the skin. Acrochordons can vary quite a bit in appearance. They may be smooth or irregular, flesh colored or more deeply pigmented, and either simply be raised above the surrounding skin or have a stalk (a peduncle) so that the skin tag hangs from the skin. Acrochordons are very common soft harmless lesions that appear to hang off the skin.

Causes of Acrochordons

Acrochordons (Cutaneous tags) are very common, generally benign skin growths that occur most often after midlife. They are tiny skin protrusions, and may have a small narrow stalk connecting the skin bump to the surface of the skin. It is not know what causes acrochordons. However, the common causes are :-

• Chaffing and irritation from skin rubbing together.
• The tendency to develop skin tags is inherited (runs in families).
• Human papilloma virus (wart virus).

Symptoms of Acrochordons

Some of the common symptoms of acrochordons are :-

• Usually very small, but sometimes half an inch long.
• May have a narrow stalk
• Located on the neck, armpits, trunk, body folds, or other areas
• Usually skin-colored, occasionally darker

Treatment of Acrochordons

Treatment is usually not necessary unless the cutaneous tags are irritating or are cosmetically displeasing. The growths may be surgically removed, removed by freezing ( cryotherapy ), or electrically burning off (cautery). Some people have their Acrochordons disappear if they take chromium picolinate 200 mcg twice a day.

What does a Acrochordons look like under a microscope?

The outer layer of the skin (the epidermis) shows overgrowth (hyperplasia) and it encloses an underlying layer of skin (the dermis) in which the normally-present collagen fibers appear abnormally loose and swollen.

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