Effect of tumor size on dermoscopic features of pigmented basal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the skin and the incidence increases yearly worldwide. Most BCC is an indolent kind of tumor, it can grow into a large lesion and lost its classic performance. In addition, giant BCC has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. [1] Thus, BCC with a large tumor size also catches our attention. Dermoscopy is a useful adjuvant tool for the diagnosis and management of BCCs. [2] There are few literatures on BCC tumor size and BCC dermoscopic features. We observed and analyzed 98 cases of BCCs and found that dermoscopic features of BCCs ≥1 cm in diameter were different from that of smaller BCCs.We performed a retrospective analysis on cases of BCC confirmed by pathological examination in the Dermatology Department of Beijing Luhe Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020. The Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital approved this study (No. 2020-LHKY-013-02). All patients signed written consent forms.

Dermoscopy of very small basal cell carcinoma (≤3 mm)

“…Very small BCCs (vsBCCs) are even more incipient lesions, that could display different features due to an early phase of tumoral growth. 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 Dermoscopy on these tumors has not been widely studied, therefore, there is a scarcity of medical literature reporting and comparing dermoscopic characteristics with larger BCCs. The aim of this study was to describe and compare dermoscopic features of BCCs measuring ≤3 mm, with those from 3 to 10 mm in diameter.…”