Nonpigmented Adenoid Subtype of Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Abstract

Introduction: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer, with a rising incidence globally. We encountered a patient with the nonpigmented adenoid subtype of BCC. The nonpigmented subtype of BCC accounts for only a small percentage of cases of BCC in the Asian population, with the adenoid subtype of BCC also being rare in all human ethnicities.

Case presentation: An 82-year-old woman presented to us with a growth in the inner canthus of the left eye, which had been slowly evolving for about 1 year. The lesion had failed to respond to a variety of topical treatments. Physical examination revealed a reddish plaque in the inner canthus of the left eye that measured 10 × 6 mm in size. Dermoscopic evaluation showed blue-gray globules and arborizing telangiectasia. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of adenoid BCC.

Conclusion: We analyzed the data of patients with the adenoid subtype of BCC in the Japanese population and found the possibility that this variant of BCC was often nonpigmented. Furthermore, we collected the dermoscopic findings of patients with the adenoid subtype of BCC; however, the data revealed no other noteworthy characteristics at present. We expect that further characterization of these two variants of BCC through accumulation of data from clinical cases will contribute to facilitating early diagnosis.