Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Equids, including members of the horse family horses, Donkeys And zebras share unique characteristics called chestnuts. Found on every horse, they appear as hard growths on their limbs, and can be cut back if they grow too large. Anyone who follows charming and strong farrier Sam Wolfenden on TikTok will have seen his expert chestnut clipping.
Chestnuts are fascinating little units – remnants of the pads of the toes that were present in prehistoric relatives of both domestic and wild horses. They are also unique to each animal; You can think of them as a personal fingerprint.
Chestnuts are made of keratin, the same material found in the outer layer of skin. It is protective, waterproof and durable, giving flexibility and strength. It is also found in hair and nails, which allow it to perform vital functions such as trapping heat and providing sensory information to the brain.
hoof and Horns’ The situation of animals is no different. Keratin-based and developed from skin, they are designed for functions such as protection or even as weapons in war.
Keratin therefore plays an important role in both human and animal species. And since we’re all made of the same biological materials, this may not surprise you human beings Can also develop horns – although not like those of a horse or goat.
cutaneous horn, or cornu dermalAre dense keratin masses that grow outward from a person’s skin. Their typically curved shape and hard texture make them look like the horns of a goat, sheep or cow.
Their color can vary from yellow to brown and gray. Their relative shade depends on the amount of pigment and dead cells trapped in the keratin during its formation.
Cutaneous horns develop from a variety of skin lesions, and many are harmless. Many common benign lesions, such as seborrheic keratoses – warty inflammations, which are extremely common in older people – can develop in these “horns”. So can other warts, including those caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a group of viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes and can cause warts or, in rare cases, cancer.
About 16–20% of cutaneous horns are malignant, developing into skin cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma. This form of cancer starts in the outer layer of the skin and can invade deeper tissues if left untreated.
Others arise from premalignant conditions: skin changes that have not yet become cancerous but have the potential to become so. A prime example is actinic (or solar) keratosis, which can later develop into squamous cell cancer, sometimes forming a horn but often not.
In these cases, the cells within the lesion become deformed and lose their normal structure and function. This uncontrolled growth can lead to excessive keratin production, sometimes resulting in the formation of horns.
About the author
Dan Baumgardt is Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the Original article.
People who develop cutaneous horns, whether benign, premalignant, or cancerous, have some of the same risk factors. These horns are more common in older adults and people with fair skin, and they often appear on sun-exposed areas such as the head or face, suggesting that ultraviolet (UV) light plays a major role.
Sun damage is a leading cause of all skin cancers, including melanoma, the most dangerous form. Unlike squamous cell cancer, melanoma originates in pigment-producing cells and spreads more aggressively throughout the body if not caught early.
grow to amazing size
Some dermal horns appear in stranger places, including the chest and even the genitals. And because they can sometimes be associated with cancer, anyone who notices these should see a doctor.
Their presence can be bothersome, especially when they form on visible areas such as the face, and they may also cause discomfort or irritation. Treatment usually involves surgical removal of the horn and a small amount of the surrounding skin, a process called excision.
Some dermal horns can grow to astonishing sizes. In 2024, an elderly woman in China made headlines due to a large dermal horn growing from her forehead, reaching ten centimeters in seven years.
Others have earned nicknames such as “unicorn horns” when they emerge from the center of a person’s forehead. Alternatively, a patient in India was reported to have “devil’s horns” growing from the top of his head.
However, the record for the largest dermal horn probably belongs to Madame Dimanche, also known as Widow Sunday, in the early 19th century. The French woman’s horn extended about 25cm and was hanging from her chin before being removed. Wax casts of both his face and horns are now displayed among other anatomical curiosities in the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia.
If you ever notice a hard, growing lump that even looks a bit like a horn, don’t wait. Get it checked by your doctor to guide the most appropriate treatment.
And as for Sam Wolfenden, with his extremely satisfying hoof-biting video, keep clipping, friend.