School of Medicine Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-31-2026
Abstract
Red, inflamed cutaneous nodules are frequently diagnosed as epidermal inclusion cysts in both primary care and dermatology settings. However, several benign and malignant entities can closely mimic an inflamed cyst, leading to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal management. We present four patients who initially presented with erythematous nodules clinically suspected to be cysts; final histopathologic diagnoses included dermatofibroma, amelanotic melanoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. For each case, we describe the clinical presentation, histopathology, and management. The presence of a central punctum and superficial mobility strongly favors an epidermal inclusion cyst. In contrast, the absence of a punctum, rapid growth, deep fixation, a positive dimple sign, or atypical dermoscopic vascular patterns should raise suspicion for a neoplasm. Final diagnosis is based on histopathologic examination, which guides subsequent treatment in accordance with current guidelines. This series underscores the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis for erythematous nodules and obtaining histopathologic confirmation when clinical features are atypical. Early recognition and appropriate biopsy technique may improve patient outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Hensley, J., Marupudi, S., Maedo, K., Suleman, S., & Sandrock, E. (2026). Red Bumps, Red Flags: A Case Series of Four Neoplasms Masquerading as Inflamed Cutaneous Cysts. Cureus, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.102703
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Cureus
DOI
10.7759/cureus.102703
Academic Level
medical student
Comments
© Copyright 2026 Hensley et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited