Pilomatrixoma

What it means

Pilomatricoma is an asymptomatic slowly growing benign cutaneous tumor, differentiating towards the hair matrix of the hair follicle. It is covered by normal or hyperemic skin, and usually varies in size from 0.5 to 3 cm.

Pilomatricomas usually are asymptomatic (pain appears only with associated inflammation and ulceration); deeply seated, firm, nontender subcutaneous masses adherent to the skin but not fixed to the underlying tissue. Stretching of the skin over the tumor shows the "tent sign" with multiple facets and angles, a pathognomonic sign for pilomatricoma. In addition, pressing on one edge of the lesion causes the opposite edge to protrude from the skin like a "teeter-totter". Both these "tent sign" and "teeter-totter sign" are the most helpful clinical clues to the diagnosis of pilomatricoma.

Rare diseases that can present with this10

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category