Arch Plast Surg. Nov 2014; 41(6): 775–777.
Published online Nov 3, 2014. doi: 10.5999/aps.2014.41.6.775
PMCID: PMC4228226
Pilomatricoma Arising at an Influenza Vaccination Site
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Tumors found in vaccination scars could be induced by trauma, persistent inflammation/wound healing, scarring, and/or the inoculated attenuated agent itself. Pirouzmanesh et al. [3] reported that inflammation was present in 40.8% of pilomatricomas in microscopic examinations. In our case, preceding inflammation was thought to be responsible for the pilomatricoma. Several adjuvant contained in vaccine have been found to produce more inflammation. Also, a needlestick injury or similar trauma causing damaged follicular epithelium at the injection site may lead to a faulty suppression of apoptosis which in turn, may result into the formation of pilomatricoma [4]. Hematoma after the injection may be followed by a rapidly growing pilomatricoma. Although exact pathologic sequence of the disease could not be defined, such prior events were though to be possible multifactorial causes. To our knowledge, pilomatricoma has not been reported to arise in scars or following an influenza vaccination, but one study reported an occurrence of the tumor following BCG vaccination [1]...
