Breaking the AKN Curse!

Published on March 21, 2023. Last Updated on July 31, 2024.

This Hispanic male patient was suffering from a large AKN lesion at the nape of his head. The mass was 12cm in length and, being a stage 2 plaque, was taking up a significant part of his scalp. The patient was not happy with how unsightly the lesion looked. He also experienced itching and flaking because of it.

A Family Curse – AKN Lesions

This patient had a family history of AKN. Both his father and brother had AKN lesions, so although his initial thought was it the bumps were a result of razor burn, he had a theory that it must’ve been genetic. He was right about that, of course. AKN is not caused by razor burn, although skin-close haircuts can trigger lesion formation.

The young man had tried to eliminate or partially dissolve his AKN plaque with steroid injections but saw no improvement. That’s when he came to Dr. Bumpinator, AKA Dr. Umar, as his last resort.

Figure 1 The patient had a large AKN plaque at the nape of his head.* — The patient had a large AKN plaque at the nape of his head.*

AKN, begone!

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s not AKN safe from Dr. Bumpinator – family history or not. When the patient came to him, Dr. Bumpinator first assessed the plaque to classify it. Based on its 5 cm height, the plaque fell under Class II categorization. As for its type, it’s a combination of keloidal and tumorous mass.

For this class and type of AKN, Dr. Bumpinator judged surgical removal as the best option.

He performed the surgery in his clinic in Manhattan Beach without any complications. Dr. Bumpinator excised the AKN plaque using the bat excision technique he developed. Once the mass was removed, he brought the wound edges closer and held them together with the Athena suture guards.

Figure 2 Dr. Bumpinator used his patented Athena suture guards for this AKN removal procedure. — Dr. Bumpinator used his patented Athena suture guards for this AKN removal procedure.

The Athena suture guards ensure optimal wound healing and mitigate unnecessary stress on the procedure site. It is also used to dictate the scar’s shape that eventually results.

A Fresh Start

The patient could embark on a new, AKN-free chapter of his life through surgical removal. Despite his family history of AKN, he would be able never to have to worry about his AKN lesions again. He was delighted with the results and the way his wound healed. The scar looked subtle enough and was aesthetically acceptable.

This young man had a family history of AKN, and was able to get his lesion removed with Dr. Bumpinator’s help.* — This young man had a family history of AKN and was able to get his lesion removed with Dr. Bumpinator’s help.*

The video below demonstrates the excellent results of the patient’s AKN removal surgery.

References

Medicinenet.com. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.medicinenet.com/flaky_scalp/symptoms.htm> [Accessed 25 August 2022].
Umar S, David CV, Castillo JR, Queller J, Sandhu S. Innovative Surgical Approaches and Selection Criteria of Large Acne Keloidalis Nuchae Lesions. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2019;7(5):e2215. Published 2019 May 16. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000002215
Umar S, Lee DJ, Lullo JJ. A Retrospective Cohort Study and Clinical Classification System of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2021;14(4):E61-E67.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AKN hereditary?

Although the exact causes of AKN are unknown, you may be genetically predisposed to having AKN lesions.

Is AKN a rare condition?

Unfortunately, AKN is relatively common in Black and Hispanic men. It is, however, rare in people of other ethnicities.