Skin lesions

The skin is the biggest organ in the body. It has a number of different functions and it is designed to be strong and resilient. Sometimes various lesions can develop within the skin’s different layers. These range from benign cysts to skin cancer.

Moles or naevi

These are pigmented areas of flat or raised skin. Suspicious signs include a change in the shape, size, colour and irregular outline. If there are any concerns regarding these features then removing of the lesion and examining it under the microscope is the best way to confirm whether there is any evidence of cancer. Not all moles are cancerous and sometimes people want them removed for cosmetic reasons.

Most commonly these lesions can be removed with a simple procedure under local anaesthetic (skin lesions removal) but sometimes a general anaesthetic may be required depending on their size, number and location and patient preference.

Cysts or nodules

There are many different types of these small swellings that can occur anywhere in the body. The most common are sebaceous or inclusion cysts. Mostly they can occur in the scalp or trunk. They can form after an injury or skin irritation or an abnormality in a hair follicle or oil gland in your skin leading to the formation of a cyst filled with keratin or sebum. They can slowly grow and sometimes become infected and form an abscess.

Because of the symptoms of tenderness or because of becoming unsightly people prefer to remove them. Most commonly these lesions can be removed with a simple procedure under local anaesthetic (skin lesions removal) but sometimes a general anaesthetic may be required depending on their size, number and location and patient preference.

Lipomata

A lipoma is a fatty mobile lump slowly growing between the outer layers of your skin and the muscle. They mostly tend to occur in middle age, run in families and there may be more than one. If they become painful, tethered or increase significantly in size then they need to be removed. Some investigations such as an USS, CT or MRI scan may be required prior to removing very large lipomas and depending on their body location or to rule out a rare liposarcoma. Most commonly these lesions can be removed with a simple procedure under local anaesthesia (skin lesions removal) but sometimes a general anaesthetic may be required depending on their size, number and location and patient preference.