Clinicopathological Pattern of Basal Cell Carcinoma among Sudanese Patients

Abstract

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a frequently diagnosed skin cancer with variable histopathological types. BCC was not widely studied in Sudan as it is in the Caucasian population. Objectives: To appraise the clinical and histopathological aspects of BCC of the skin in Sudan. Materials and methods: A retrospective descriptive analysis of 84 histologically diagnosed BCC specimens seen at three hospitals in four-year duration were reviewed and classified into histological variants according to the WHO classification 2006. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 23.0. Results: The mean age (±SD) of the study participants was 56 (±1.75) years, ranging from 20 to 92 years and 63.1% were females (Female to male ratio 1.7:1). The most common incidence was among the age group 51 - 60 years. The face was the primary tumor site in 89.3% with a predilection for the nasal area (31% of those in the face), followed by the trunk (6%). Out of the total, 54.8% were histologically categorized as nodular/solid, while infiltrative accounts for 11.9% followed by the superficial type (8.3%). Surgical margins were involved in 34.5% of cases and peri-neural invasion was seen in 3.6% of cases, mostly were of the infiltrative variant. Conclusion: BCC in Sudan is commonly present in the head as solid nodular histopathological variant which is correlated with worldwide distribution but has slightly younger age and female predominance; thus further studies are needed to assess risk factors in Sudanese patients and improve approaches for earlier diagnosis and better management.