Pathology
- Pyogenic granuloma: rapidly growing capillary haemangioma which usually measures less than 1cm in diameter
- It is neither pyogenic nor a granuloma
Approach
- Examine as for any lump
- Inspect
- Bright red or blood encrusted hemispherical nodule
- May be sessile or pedunculated
- May be associated with serous or purulent discharge
- Can be skin coloured if longstanding (due to epithelialisation)
- Palpate
- Soft/fleshy in consistency
- Slightly compressible (due to vascular origin)
- May bleed easily (palpate only if asked to)
Completion
- Ask about previous injury to the area
- Link with trauma
- How long the lump took to appear (rapid growth in afew days)
- How the lump affects the patient's life
Treatment
- Non-surgical
- Regression is uncommon except in those arising from pregnancy
- Surgical
- Best treated surgically
- Curettage with diathermy of the base
- Complete excision biopsy (if recurrent, consider malignancy - amelanotic melanoma)