Why Is There a Growing, Non-Healing Spot on My Cheek That Won't Go Away?
When an 86-year-old patient visited our office at Village Dermatology in Houston, accompanied by her caretaker, she was seeking answers for a persistent skin concern. She had been living with an enlarging, irregular spot on her right cheek for several years. Because non-healing facial lesions can indicate serious sun-related skin damage or malignancy, prompt medical evaluation by a trusted dermatologist in Katy, TX was critical.
Evaluating a Non-Healing Facial Lesion
During her comprehensive examination, our skin care specialist used high-powered dermoscopy to inspect the papule located on her right cheek. Skin spots that bleed, crust, grow irregularly, or fail to heal over months or years require careful diagnostic testing to rule out non-melanoma skin cancers.
Neoplasm of Uncertain Behavior: When a skin bump presents with irregular borders or changes in texture, it is medically classified as a neoplasm of uncertain behavior until lab results confirm its exact cellular makeup.
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): The most common form of skin cancer, often appearing as a pearly, slow-growing bump or non-healing sore on sun-exposed areas like the face and neck.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): The second most common skin cancer, which typically manifests as a scaly red patch, firm nodule, or crusty spot caused by cumulative UV radiation.
Safe Diagnostic Shave Biopsy & In-Office Care
To obtain a definitive diagnosis and build an effective treatment plan, our dermatology team performed a quick, in-office diagnostic procedure:
Gentle Local Anesthesia: The right medial cheek area was prepped with alcohol and numbed locally using lidocaine with epinephrine to keep the procedure completely comfortable and minimize minor bleeding.
Shave Biopsy Technique: Using a specialized Dermablade, a superficial shave biopsy was performed to sample the tissue down to the dermal layer.
Hemostasis & Wound Care: Electrocautery was applied to stop any minor bleeding immediately, followed by the application of petrolatum ointment and a sterile protective bandage.
The harvested tissue sample was sent directly to a dermatopathology laboratory for formal microscopic evaluation (H&E staining). Our team contacts every patient with their biopsy results within two weeks to discuss next steps, such as monitoring or advanced Mohs micrographic surgery.
