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Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common, benign condition of sebaceous glands in middle-aged to older adults. Lesions can be single or multiple and present as slightly white, flesh- or yellow-colored, soft, small papules on the face, particularly the nose, cheeks and forehead.
Signs & Symptoms
Sebaceous hyperplasia occasionally also occurs on the chest, areola, mouth or vulva. They often have a central indentation.
Treatment & Prevention
The cause is unknown and tends to run in families. While no treatment is necessary, they can be treated by:- Tretinoin cream or gel used daily will reverse the condition slowly overtime and also help keep the condition from worsening.
- Accutane will reverse sebaceous hyperplasia, but new lesions will develop after stopping the medication unless you also use tretinoin cream regularly.
- TCA chemical peels will also reverse sebaceous hyperplasia, but new lesions will occur slowly after treatment.
- They can be destroyed with electrocautery or laser.
Prognosis
Lesions of sebaceous hyperplasia are benign, with no known potential for malignant transformation.
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GLOSSARY
Benign
Literally: innocent; not malignant. Often used to refer to cells that are not cancerous; they tend to grow slowly and don't spread (metastasize) like cancer tumors do.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Lesion (Lesions)
Any damage to tissue structure or function; an abnormal change in body tissue caused by disease or injury. A scar is a lesion, as is cancer, a stomach ulcer or a pimple.
Malignant (Cancerous)
Dangerous. Mainly used to describe a cancerous growth -- when used this way, it means the growth is cancerous and predisposed to spreading.
Nipple (Areola, Nipples, Subareolar)
The small projection near the center of the breast containing the outlets of the milk ducts, OR the corresponding projection of the male breast. The areola is the darker tissue that encircles the nipple. Subareolar describes the location beneath the surface of the areola.
Sebaceous (Sebaceous Cyst)
Sebaceous Gland: Oil secreting glands, mostly clustered around hair follicles. The oil (sebum) is released into the oil glands from the disintegrated cytoplasm of shedding holocrine cells that line the alveolar surfaces. The nature of the secretion is often a direct reflection of the state of the body's lipid metabolism.
Last updated: Sep 28, 2008
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