Hair Follicle Neoplasms – Trichoepitheliomas

Trichoepitheliomas are benign hair follicle neoplasms that I occasionally encounter in both my The Woodlands dermatology and Conroe dermatology offices.  The most common anatomic location for a Trichoepithelioma is the face.  Clinically, Trichoepitheliomas are flesh colored nodules and may be mistaken for basal cell cancers.  Treatment of Trichoepitheliomas is surgical excision if desired.  Most Trichoepitheliomas are solitary but there is a hereditary disorder called Brooke Spiegler Syndrome in which a patient may have numerous Trichoepitheliomas.  Brooke Spiegler is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and patients may develop other adnexal tumors such as cylindromas and spiradenomas.