Dermoscopy‐guided surgery in basal cell carcinoma

Background In basal cell carcinoma (BCC), excision margins between 3 and 10 mm, according to site, size, borders, previous treatment and histology, can allow for radical excision in at least 95% of cases. Objective The objective was to ascertain whether dermoscopy can detect more accurately the lateral borders in BCCs than clinical examination alone, and allow us to obtain radical excision in more than 95% of cases with only 2‐mm excision margins. Methods A prospective study was performed of 200 consecutive BCCs of the head and neck removed with 2‐mm dermoscopically detected excision margins. Morpheaform BCC, deeply recurrent BCC, BCC in Gorlin‐Goltz syndrome, BCC located in sites not accessible through dermoscopy and superficial multifocal BCC were excluded. All cases of excised BCC were submitted to a uniform method of histological examination of the whole specimen with serial parallel sections at 2‐mm intervals. Results In only three cases did surgical excision with 2‐mm margins prove to be inadequate; in the remaining 197 cases, the excision margins were tumour‐free. The comparison of clinical and dermoscopic extension measurement showed concordance in 131 cases (65.5%). In 69 cases (34.5%), dermoscopic evaluation showed a larger peripheral extension. Conclusions These results indicate that 2‐mm dermoscopically detected excision margins can achieve histologically confirmed complete excisions in 98.5% of cases.     

Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of a giant superficial basal cell carcinoma

A 74-year-old man was referred to our department for the treatment of a 15 × 15 cm superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on his lumbar region. As surgical excision was considered too destructive, photodynamic therapy (PDT) was proposed. Methyl 5-aminolevulinate (MAL) cream was applied under occlusion for 3 h before illumination with a light-emitting diode lamp with an emission peak of 632 nm, a fluence rate of 83.3 mW/cm, and a light dose of 37 J/cm. A second MAL-PDT session was repeated 1 week later. The neoplastic area healed in 30 days. No recurrence has occurred after a 40-month follow-up period, but clinical observation continues. Although surgery still remains the treatment of choice for giant BCC, for which the local invasiveness and metastatic potential are well known, we offered our patient the option of PDT because we believed that classical surgery could hardly provide the same satisfactory outcome. As far as we know, this is the first case of giant BCC treated with PDT.     

氨基酮戊酸光动力疗法治疗基底细胞癌74例

目的:探讨不同方式联合氨基酮戊酸光动力疗法(ALA-PDT)治疗基底细胞癌(BCC)的疗效.方法:74例经病理确诊为浅表型或结节型BCC患者,分别采用手术联合ALA-PDT、高频电刀联合ALA-PDT及单纯使用ALA-PDT治疗.治疗后观察创面愈合情况和时间;1年后观察肿瘤复发、疤痕形成、外观效果等情况.结果:74例患...     

色素性基底细胞癌

报告1例色素性基底细胞癌。患者女,68岁。右侧腋下黑色条状斑块10余年。皮肤科检查:右侧腋下约3.0 cm×0.2 cm大黑色斑块,边界尚清,其上散在分布数个米粒大黑色丘疹,斑块中部可见糜烂、渗液,渗液周边可见炎症性红斑,无触痛。皮损组织病理检查:表皮层局灶瘤细胞巢,表皮至真皮层可见一肿块,由嗜碱性基底样细胞组成,可见细胞异形性及有丝分裂象,在肿块周边细胞呈栅栏状排列,可见收缩间隙。诊断:色素性基底细胞癌。     

痣样基底细胞癌综合征一例

痣样基底细胞癌综合征是一种罕见的常染色体显性遗传病,以泛发性皮肤基底细胞癌和多器官发育异常为主要临床特征。本文报告1例痣样基底细胞癌综合征患者,并结合相关文献对该病的发病率、发病机制、诊断标准、治疗方法等进行讨论。     

Photodynamic therapy of eyelid basal cell carcinoma

Background  Photodynamic therapy (PDT; i.e. selective destroying of malignant cells by exposing them to red light after photosensitization) has been increasingly used for non-melanoma skin cancers. Due to excellent cosmetic and functional results, especially in difficult-to-treat areas, it may offer a comprehensive alternative to previous treatment modalities.
Objective  A series of six patient cases was used to evaluate the efficacy of PDT in the treatment of lower eyelid basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
Methods  Histological confirmation of BCC, a detailed demonstration of the technique with an illustrative series of cases and a review of related literature.
Results  Six patients with lower eyelid BCC were treated with two treatment sessions of PDT within a week. Five patients had a nodular type and one patient had a superficial type of BCC. The follow-up after treatment continued for 20–36 (mean 26.5) months. No recurrences were observed during the follow-up. All the patients were satisfied with the good results and tolerated the treatment well without any harm to the eyeball or surrounding skin.
Conclusion  PDT, although experimental in the eyelid area because of the small amount of data and the lack of a long-term follow-up, may be considered a promising comprehensive alternative when treating BCC in the eyelid area.

Conflicts of interest

None declared     

色素性基底细胞癌一例

患者女,67岁.主因左耳后皮疹20年,溃烂2年余就诊.患者自述20年前左耳后长出一绿豆大小皮肤色丘疹,无自觉症状,数年后丘疹略增大,表面变粗糙,当地医院诊断刺瘊,自行数次用头发捆勒祛除之,未见效,皮疹增长缓慢无不适感.近5年常令其子用烟头烫,2年来丘疹反复糜烂、渗液、结痂,基底渐增大,色变黑,皮疹增大至鸽卵大小,中心溃烂不愈,无痛、痒感.     

Long‐term prognosis after surgical excision of basal cell carcinoma: A single institutional study in Japan

Conventional surgical excision (SE) is commonly used to treat patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). There have been few studies, however, evaluating the long‐term prognosis of Japanese patients receiving SE for treatment of BCC. The purpose of this retrospective study is to determine the effectiveness of SE in accomplishing the long‐term cure of patients with BCC. We enrolled 290 patients with primary BCC who underwent SE during 1998–2006. The prognosis of treated patients was subsequently investigated using data obtained through our hospital cancer registration section. In total, 205 patients (70.7%) were treated for BCC lesions located on the face. The mean tumor diameter of excised lesions was 12.8 mm. A majority of patients in the study (256 patients, 88.3%) had pigmented BCC. The mean surgical margin at SE was 3.8 mm. Two patients developed local recurrence during the postoperative course of 290 patients (mean duration, 80 months). One patient developed recurrent disease 21 months after surgery, and the other developed recurrence at 66 months after surgery. The 5‐ and 10‐year cumulative recurrence rates were 0.4% and 0.8%, respectively. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that long‐term high cure rates of BCC in Japanese patients may be achieved through conventional SE. A better prognosis was obtained in this study compared with similar studies reported previously in Caucasians. This may be related to the predominance of pigmented versus non‐pigmented lesions in the Japanese population.     

SUFU-associated Gorlin syndrome: Expanding the spectrum between classic nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and multiple hereditary infundibulocystic basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), also known as Gorlin syndrome, is characterized by an aberrant activation of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway, most cases being caused by PTCH1 mutations. However, certain features such as multiple hereditary infundibulocystic basal cell carcinomas (MHIBCC), sclerotic fibromas, childhood medulloblastoma or meningioma may be relatively specific to a SUFU mutation. We present two patients with MHIBCC, along with a more complex cutaneous and extracutaneous phenotype. MHIBCC syndrome and BCNS may share clinical features and, indeed, both syndromes probably represent different degrees of upregulation in the Hh pathway.     

Treatment of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common tumor in Central Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The increasing incidence of basal cell carcinoma presents the health care system, especially dermatology, with great challenges. In recent years new options for treating basal cell carcinoma have become available, enriching our therapeutic options. We review the current status of each of these treatment approaches.     

Photodynamic therapy with meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin for basal cell carcinoma: a phase I/II study

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a convenient and effective method of treating small superficial tumours. New second-generation photosensitizers offer some advantages over first-generation sensitizers such as haematoporphyrin derivatives. OBJECTIVES: To define the optimal treatment parameters (drug dose, light dose and time interval) using meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC) as a photosensitizer in patients with multiple basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). METHODS: Light of 652 nm (100 mW cm(-2)) was used for illuminating different tumours (n = 187) with light doses of 5--15 J cm(-2). Following an intravenous injection of 0.1 mg kg(-1) mTHPC each patient (n = 5) was illuminated on 4 consecutive days. Each day at least three BCCs per patient were treated with PDT. RESULTS: Response evaluation at 6, 12 and 18 months showed maximum responses for illumination with 10 or 15 J cm(-2) on days 1 or 2 after injection (86% complete responses). Normal tissue reactions (oedema and erythema) around the treatment site were more severe on day 1 than after longer intervals. CONCLUSIONS: mTHPC is a very effective photosensitizer; short illumination times can result in long-term cures with good cosmetic healing and with skin phototoxicity of short duration.     

多发性基底细胞癌的皮肤镜特点

目的:明确多发性基底细胞癌的皮肤镜特点。方法:回顾性分析行皮肤镜检查并经组织病理确诊为基底细胞癌的7例多发性基底细胞癌患者的25处皮损。结果:皮损表现为散在血管模式20处,无血管模式5处;蓝灰色卵圆巢21处,多发性蓝灰色点及小球16处,不典型血管15处,无结构区13处,色素减退12处,线性毛细血管扩张11处,出血/溃疡11处,枫叶状结构10处,螺旋状血管10处,分支状血管7处,乳红色小球7处,红白背景下无结构区7处,逗号样血管5处,乳红色小点4处,轮幅样结构2处。结论:多发性基底细胞癌皮肤镜常见表现为散在血管模式,蓝灰色卵圆巢及多发性蓝灰色点及小球。     

Keratotic basal cell carcinoma of the upper eyelid

A 62 year old woman presented with two large slowly growing pedunculated tumours. These were excised from the lateral aspect of the upper eyelid and were found to be keratotic basal cell carcinomas.     

Photodynamic therapy with topical methyl aminolaevulinate for 'difficult-to-treat' basal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) may be difficult to treat by conventional means, particularly if the lesions are large or located in the mid-face (H-zone). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using topical methyl aminolaevulinate (MAL) may be a good noninvasive option for these patients. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and safety of PDT using MAL for BCCs defined as 'difficult to treat', i.e. large lesions, in the H-zone, or in patients at high risk of surgical complications. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicentre, noncomparative study. Patients were assessed 3, 12 and 24 months after the last PDT treatment. One hundred and two patients with 'difficult-to-treat' BCC were treated with MAL PDT, using 160 mg g(-1) cream and 75 J cm(-2) red light (570-670 nm), after lesion preparation and 3 h of cream exposure. Results Ninety-five patients with 148 lesions were included in the per protocol analysis. The histologically confirmed lesion complete response rate at 3 months was 89% (131 of 148). At 12 months, 10 lesions had reappeared, and therefore the cumulative treatment failure rate was 18% (27 of 148). At 24 months, an additional nine lesions had reappeared, resulting in a cumulative treatment failure rate of 24% (36 of 148). The estimated sustained lesion complete response rate (assessed using a time-to-event approach) was 90% at 3 months, 84% at 12 months and 78% at 24 months. Overall cosmetic outcome was judged as excellent or good in 79% and 84% of the patients at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Follow-up is continuing for up to 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: MAL PDT is an attractive option for 'difficult-to-treat' BCC. Because of the excellent cosmetic results, the treatment is particularly well suited for lesions that would otherwise require extensive surgical procedures.     

Surgical margins of excision for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

In excising basal and squamous cell carcinomata, the surgical margin that is wide enough to completely remove the tumor an acceptable percentage of the time and narrow enough to minimize removal of excessive normal tissue must be selected. This task can be reliably accomplished with comprehensive knowledge of factors that affect subclinical tumor extension such as tumor appearance, diameter, histology, location, treatment status, and, in the case of squamous cell carcinoma, vertical invasion depth and involvement of subcutaneous fat. Information regarding these factors along with specific recommendations about excisional margins for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomata is presented.     

息肉样基底细胞癌

报告1例息肉样基底细胞癌.患者女,77岁.右腋下赘生物25年,变红伴疼痛1年.皮肤科检查:右侧腋下可见蚕豆大暗红色息肉样半球形赘生物.皮损组织病理检查:表皮增生肥厚,部分区域向下增生,形成条索状及块状肿瘤细胞团块,肿瘤细胞团块由基底样细胞组成,细胞核大深染,可见核分裂象,部分边缘呈栅栏状排列,可见收缩间隙;真皮内可见间...