ABSTRACT
The many cell and tissue types in skin are responsible for the enormous number of benign tumours that may arise from it. Epidermal naevus is the name given to a wide variety of uncommon, localized malformations of the epidermis. This chapter presents the more common benign tumours of sweat gland origin: syringoma, cylindroma, apocrine hidrocystoma, eccrine poroma and so on. It discusses the benign tumours of hair follicle origin: pilomatrixoma, trichoepithelioma, and so on. The neurilemmoma is an uncommon benign tumour of neural connective tissue. Lipomata are common, solitary or sometimes multiple, benign tumours of fat. They are soft, skin-coloured and have poorly defined edges. A cyst is an epithelium-lined cavity filled with fluid or semi-solid material. The chapter provides differential diagnosis of common skin cysts: Epidermoid cysts, Milia, Pilar cysts and Dermoid cysts. It focuses on the treatment of benign tumours, moles and birthmarks.
