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Dermatoscopy of pigmented Bowen's disease
Alan Cameron1, Cliff Rosendahl, Philipp Tschandl
1School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|January 19, 2010
Summary
Pigmented Bowen's disease, a form of squamous cell carcinoma in situ, presents a distinct dermatoscopic pattern. Key features include linear arrangements of brown/gray dots and coiled vessels, aiding diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Dermatopathology
Background:
- Pigmented Bowen's disease (Bowen's disease) is a variant of squamous cell carcinoma in situ.
- The clinical and dermatoscopic characteristics of pigmented Bowen's disease are not well-defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the clinical and dermatoscopic features of pigmented Bowen's disease.
- To identify specific dermatoscopic clues for diagnosing pigmented Bowen's disease.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 52 cases of pigmented Bowen's disease.
- Histopathological verification of all Bowen's disease cases during the study period.
Main Results:
- Pigmented Bowen's disease constituted 5.5% of all biopsied Bowen's disease cases (52 out of 951).
- Dermatoscopy revealed a pattern of dots and/or structureless zones.
- Linear arrangement of brown/gray dots (21.2%) and coiled vessels (predominant type, 67.3%) were observed. Linear vessels were seen in 11.5%.
Conclusions:
- Pigmented Bowen's disease exhibits a characteristic dermatoscopic pattern.
- Linear arrangements of dots and coiled vessels are specific indicators for diagnosing pigmented Bowen's disease.
- Study limitations include its retrospective and uncontrolled nature.
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