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Identifying and characterizing basal cell carcinomas in persons with albinism
Author(s) -
Juhasz Margit L. W.,
Levin Melissa K.,
Sharp Andrew
Publication year - 2020
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.15071
Subject(s) - medicine , basal cell carcinoma , albinism , dermatology , skin cancer , population , basal cell , disease , erythema , cancer , pathology , paleontology , environmental health , biology
Background Historically, persons with albinism (PWA) were thought to develop squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) more frequently than basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Recent evidence suggests BCCs in PWA are more common than initially hypothesized. Objective To characterize the presentation of BCC in PWA. Methods Fifty‐four PWA with lesions suspicious for non‐melanoma skin cancer sought care at Tanzanian dermatologic clinics from 2017 to 2019. Demographic and clinical presentation data were recorded. Histologic analysis of each sample was completed. Results The majority of PWA were female (53.7%), with a mean age of 34.6 ± 14.9 years and a mean duration of disease of 0.70 ± 0.73 years. Physician description of histologically proven BCC included ulceration (41.7%), erythema (16.7%), and scale (16.7%). Lesions were most commonly located on the trunk (47.1%) and face (41.2%). Histologic analysis demonstrated 30.2% of lesions were BCC, 26.4% SCC, and 17% Bowen's disease. Limitations Patient population was limited to those visiting clinics, and data were limited by accuracy of the medical record. Conclusions Basal cell carcinoma occurs at a higher rate than SCC in our population, suggesting BCC in PWA is underdiagnosed. It is important to recognize BCC early in PWA to avoid large disease burden and high rates of morbidity and mortality.