Traumatic tattoo in Adult
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis
Particles become trapped beneath healing dermis and epidermis. In explosion injury, particles may also become trapped behind a collapsed entry wound. Body location of the tattoo depends on where the trauma occurred. Lesions vary widely in size and shape depending on the causative injury, and are usually blue, gray, or black.
Codes
ICD10CM:L81.8 – Other specified disorders of pigmentation
SNOMEDCT:
840343009 – Iatrogenic tattoo
840347005 – Occupational tattoo
Look For
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Diagnostic Pearls
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
The differential diagnosis may depend on the foreign body color, shape, size, and mode of entry into the skin, and includes:- Blue nevus or eruptive blue nevi
- Combined nevus
- Atypical nevus
- Pigmented spindle cell nevus
- Glomus tumor
- Venous lake or angiokeratoma
- Sclerosing hemangioma
- Nevus of Ota or Ito
- Primary and metastatic melanoma – easily mistaken for carbon stain (embedded graphite)
Best Tests
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Management Pearls
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Therapy
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References
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Last Reviewed:06/07/2017
Last Updated:03/26/2017
Last Updated:03/26/2017
Traumatic tattoo in Adult