Long-Standing Seborrheic Keratosis of the Scalp

Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is a common benign epidermal tumor that frequently arises in elderly patients. Although it is usually straightforward to diagnose, atypical long-standing or pigmented lesions on the scalp can mimic malignancies such as melanoma or pigmented basal cell carcinoma. We present the case of an 82-year-old man with a slowly enlarging verrucous plaque on the left temporo-parietal scalp that has been present for at least 20 years. The lesion was asymptomatic but demonstrated dark pigmentation and irregular borders, prompting histopathologic evaluation. Biopsy confirmed SK, and the lesion was completely removed by shave excision and curettage. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by long-standing pigmented scalp lesions and emphasizes the importance of clinicopathologic correlation to exclude malignancy.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-11-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.96830
Primary Topic
Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Long-Standing Seborrheic Keratosis of the Scalp

Claudia Chidiac, Roland Tomb, Jean El Hajj, Myriam El Hajj
Cureus
Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management
article

Long-Standing Seborrheic Keratosis of the Scalp

Claudia Chidiac, Roland Tomb, Jean El Hajj, Myriam El Hajj
article en

Abstract

Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is a common benign epidermal tumor that frequently arises in elderly patients. Although it is usually straightforward to diagnose, atypical long-standing or pigmented lesions on the scalp can mimic malignancies such as melanoma or pigmented basal cell carcinoma. We present the case of an 82-year-old man with a slowly enlarging verrucous plaque on the left temporo-parietal scalp that has been present for at least 20 years. The lesion was asymptomatic but demonstrated dark pigmentation and irregular borders, prompting histopathologic evaluation. Biopsy confirmed SK, and the lesion was completely removed by shave excision and curettage. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by long-standing pigmented scalp lesions and emphasizes the importance of clinicopathologic correlation to exclude malignancy.

CureusVol. 17(11)
Saint Joseph University (LB), Hôtel-Dieu de France (LB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 53%
Cutaneous Melanoma Detection and Management
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