What should you know about cutaneous horn melanoma?

A cutaneous horn is made of compact keratin and may look like a small horn or spike. The horn itself describes the shape, not the diagnosis. The skin beneath it may have a benign, precancerous, or cancerous cause. Melanoma is a cancer of pigment-producing cells and may appear as a changing dark patch, nodule, or unusual growth; a horn cannot be classified safely by appearance alone.

Do not shave, pull, or burn the horn yourself. Book a dermatology assessment so the whole lesion and its base can be inspected. The clinician may recommend Surgical Excision or Skin Cancer Surgery, with tissue examination to identify the cause. If melanoma is confirmed, care may include wider removal, Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, or treatment such as Immunotherapy depending on the findings.

Arrange prompt assessment if the horn is growing, painful, bleeding, crusting, surrounded by redness, or sitting on sun-exposed skin. Seek urgent help for heavy bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling, severe pain, or symptoms suggesting spread such as new neurological changes. A concerning appearance calls for examination because the horn’s size does not determine its cause.

What does the base look like under examination? Should the entire horn be removed for tissue analysis? If melanoma is found, what staging tests and treatment choices apply? How should the site be monitored afterward?