SKIN 
 

September 2018     Volume 2 Issue 5 
 

Copyright 2018 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 343 

COMPELLING COMMENTS 
 

 

The Cutaneous Horn: Fascinating Since 1588 
 
Nicole Nagrani BSa, Adrianna Gonzalez BSa, Anna Nichols MD, PhDa,b 

 
aDepartment of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 
Miami, FL 
bDepartment of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, 
FL 
 

 
 
In 1588, Margaret Gryffith captured the 
attention of many after growing a four-inch 
horn from her forehead (Figure 1A). 
According to folklore, Margaret’s husband, 
just before his death, accused her of “giving 
him the horn,” a phrase implying that she 
had been unfaithful.   Margaret denied this 
allegation and countered that a horn would 
grow from her forehead if she had 
committed adultery.  According to the 
legend, a horn did grow and suggested to 
people that this “unworldly horn” was a 
warning for others to repent their sins and 
ask God for forgiveness. Margaret was put 
on display in London, attracting poets and 
playwrights, who would later document their 
observations in their writings.1 These 
descriptions are thought to be the first 
written record of a cutaneous horn. 
 
In 1598, 35-year-old Frenchman Francois 
Trouvillou was discovered in France with a 
large, finger-length horn protruding from his 
forehead that curved backwards nearly 
penetrating his scalp.2 Trouvillou’s case was 
documented in Judge Du Thou’s historical 
anecdotes. In 1642 Thomas Bartholin 
encountered this report, which stimulated his 
interest in cutaneous horns and propelled  

 
Figure 1. (A) A depiction of Margaret Gryffith (image 
reproduced with permission from the Mary Evans 
Picture Gallery). (B) Table listing skin conditions 
associated with cutaneous horns.   

 
him to investigate them further. Ultimately,  
Bartholin concluded that cutaneous horns 
were not supernatural phenomenon as 
originally believed, but rather were produced 
by skin tumors. Bartholin’s work prompted 
German scholar Georg Franck von 
Franckenau to write the first article 
dedicated to the cutaneous horn. Published 
in 1676, Tractatus Philologico-Mediscus de 
Cornutis describes a series of 25 cases of 
cutaneous horns reported by multiple 
medical dignitaries.2 
 
 



SKIN 
 

September 2018     Volume 2 Issue 5 
 

Copyright 2018 The National Society for Cutaneous Medicine 344 

In 1791, Everard Home published an article 
supporting Bartholin’s hypothesis that 
cutaneous horns were tumors that resulted 
from altered skin growth.3  It is now well-
established that cutaneous horns are 
composed of cornified keratinaceous 
material, have a predilection for sun-
exposed skin, and can arise from benign, 
pre-malignant, and malignant skin lesions 
(Figure 1B).2  
 
 
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None. 
 
Funding: None. 
 
Corresponding Author: 
Nicole Nagrani, BS 
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery  
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine 
NXN237@miami.edu  

References: 

1. Wood JO. Woman with a horn. 
Huntington Library Quarterly 1966; 
29: 295–300.  

2. Bondeson J. Everard Home, John 
Hunter, and cutaneous horns: a 
historical review. The American Journal 
of dermatopathology. 2001;23(4):362-
369. 

3. Home E. Observations on certain horny 
excrescences of the human body. 
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 
1791; 81: 95–105. 

 

mailto:NXN237@miami.edu