Verruciform Xanthoma Differential Diagnoses

Updated: Nov 07, 2019
  • Author: W Clark Lambert, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: William D James, MD  more...
  • Print
DDx

Diagnostic Considerations

The clinical differential diagnosis of verruciform xanthoma varies depending on the site. The differential diagnosis includes verruca vulgaris/condyloma acuminatum and oral papilloma.

Verruciform xanthoma can be misdiagnosed as verrucous carcinoma both clinically and microscopically if a superficial biopsy is performed. Verrucous carcinoma is of particular importance because, although it is a carcinoma, it shows little or no epidermal cytologic atypia. For this reason, superficial biopsy of verruciform xanthoma may be misinterpreted as verrucous carcinoma. Verrucous carcinoma can be distinguished from verruciform xanthoma by the presence of invasive epithelial proliferation, cellular atypia, and the lack of foamy histiocytic infiltrate. [12]

Differential Diagnoses