Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a common malignancy among light-skin races. Chronic solar exposure is the most important precipitating factor. In India, BCC is the second in order among the nonmelanoma skin cancers, the first being squamous cell carcinoma.
The aim is to study the demographic, clinical, and histopathological parameters of the patients suffering from BCC residing in a rural area of northern Karnataka.
Retrospective data analysis of the patients suffering from BCC was performed from the records of dermatology outpatients' department
A total of 41 cases of BCC were examined during 12 years. The duration of the lesions varied from 6 months to 20 years. Female patients outnumbered males in a ratio of 3.36:1. Majority of the patients were homemakers and agricultural workers. Nodular, noduloulcerative, and pigmented BCC were the most common clinical pattern and 9 (28.1%) cases of morpheaform BCC were recorded. Four patients had genodermatoses -These patients had multiple lesions of BCC. Classical histopathological features were recorded in all cases. One specimen showed evidence of metatypical epithelioma.
Most of the patients in this series belonged to the rural part of North Karnataka, predominantly homemakers and agricultural workers. Females were more commonly affected, attributable to the intermittent type of solar exposure. Morpheaform BCC accounted for less than a quarter of cases, and multiple BCCs associated with genodermatoses were seen in four cases.