Basal cell carcinoma of the dorsum of the hand

Although extremely frequent elsewhere on the body, basal cell carcinomas are infrequent on the hands (< 1% of all basal cell carcinomas). Chronic sun exposure is considered as the main etiologic factor for its development but it does not explain low frequency of hand involvement. Presented here is a series of seven patients with basal cell carcinoma of the hand. All were treated by surgery alone. Clinical presentation was classical: a slowly growing chronic ulceration. None of the patients was chronically exposed to chemical agents but two of them developed their tumour in previously irradiated areas, focusing on this specific etiologic factor for basal cell carcinomas of the hands.