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Pyogenic Granuloma

Pyogenic granuloma is described as little ugly bumps of raw skin tissues.  They look like raw meat coming out of the skin.  It can occur in children and younger adults.  More females than males are afflicted.  In pregnant women, this occurs during the first three months of pregnancy.    The skin growth is highly inflamed.  When the lesion is older it has a fibrous character.  Sometimes, the surface of the meaty bump will show lacerations.  The bumps usually appear on the hands and feet and on the face.  These little meaty bumps bleed easily with just slight contact or even movement. 

There is no exact cause that can be pinpointed.  But it has been observed that the skin disorder follow after a skin injury.  After an injury it grows rapidly in a few weeks and reaches an average size of a half an inch.  Unfortunately these painless bleeders can grow in the head, neck, upper trunk, hands, and feet.  Pyogenic granuloma is common in children but rarely in children less than six months.  In children pyogenic granuloma is a small bright red growth.  Parents cannot recall any history of injury that may have caused the growth.  Although these are not cancerous, this has to be removed because it bleeds at every contact.

Hormonal imbalance can lead to pyogenic granuloma.    On the other hand the presence of staphylococcus aureus adds to the infection.  Patients taking retinoids are also prone to the abnormal skin growth.    Blood vessel malformations have been also considered as another cause.  

Pyogenic granuloma may be smooth or lobulated or consisting of small lobes.  The bump may appear red, to pink, and purple.   As a lesion ages the color changes into a pink color and grows bigger.   It usually appears a small bump, the size of a pinhead, brownish red or blue black in color.  The growth develops over a weeks and reaches 2 cm in diameter.    Smaller bumps measure about 2mm.  Fortunately this skin disorder is not contagious.

Pyogenic granuloma can be effectively destroyed with a laser, liquid nitrogen, or electrocautery. Even after removal, it can recur because it has rooted itself to blood vessels in the skin.  When it shows again, the same treatment can be applied.  In persistent cases, laser surgery will burn the base of the pyogenic granuloma.  Cauterizing the growth with silver nitrate is also an effective method.

Pyogenic granuloma affects more women than men.  It affects all races.  It goes away suddenly but larger lesions have to undergo surgery.  Although pyrogenic granulomas can be excised, scarring will occur.   When pyrogenic granuloma reappears, it does not always recur in the same site.

In removing the skin growth, the doctor cleans the affected area with hydrogen peroxide and a povidone or iodine solution.  With a silver nitrate stick he cauterize the granulations.  He makes sure that it is completely discolored.  The wound is dressed after applying iodine ointment.  The dressings should be changed 2-3 times everyday until the wound is healed.  In all circumstances, it is best to have a doctor remove the pyogenic granuloma.  He can determine if it is appropriate to cauterize the growth or not.