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Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva: a case report and systematic review of the literature
Author(s) -
Renati Sruthi,
Henderson Christopher,
Aluko Ashley,
Burgin Susan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/ijd.14307
Subject(s) - vulva , medicine , basal cell carcinoma , wide local excision , histopathology , vulvar cancer , dermatology , vulvar diseases , vulvar neoplasm , vulvar carcinoma , systematic review , basal cell , surgery , medline , pathology , biology , biochemistry
The vulva is an unusual site for basal cell carcinoma ( BCC ). Vulvar BCC accounts for <1% of all BCC s and <5% of all vulvar malignancies. We report the case of an 83 year‐old woman who presented with a 2‐month history of a tender labial growth, with histopathology confirming nodular BCC . We conducted a systematic literature review of the characteristics of reported cases of vulvar BCC s. A comprehensive systematic review of articles indexed for MEDLINE and Embase yielded 96 reports describing 437 patients with 446 BCC s of the vulva. The mean age at presentation was 70 (range 20–100). Most women had no underlying vulvar disease. Approximately 60% of cases were of the nodular subtype. Treatment approach varied widely with over half of cases treated with wide local or local excision. Mohs micrographic surgery ( MMS ) for vulvar BCC was first reported in 1988 with seven total MMS cases reported. Twenty‐three cases of recurrence have been reported; 21 of these cases after local excision but none following MMS . Vulvar BCC is a rarely reported cancer that affects older women predominantly. MMS represents a promising treatment for BCC in this anatomic location.