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Acantholytic Nodular Basal Cell Carcinoma.

Jean Kanitakis^1,2

¹Department of Dermatology, Ed. Herriot Hospital Center, Lyon, France; and.

The American Journal of Dermatopathology

|July 28, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Acantholysis, the loss of keratinocyte cohesion, is rarely seen in basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). This report details a case of nodular BCC exhibiting acantholysis, a finding usually associated with other skin cancers.

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Area of Science:

Dermatopathology
Oncology
Cell Biology

Background:

Acantholysis, characterized by keratinocyte desmosome breakdown and intraepithelial clefts, is a recognized feature in certain keratinocytic neoplasms.
It typically defines acantholytic variants of actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinomas.
Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common skin cancers, but acantholysis is exceptionally rare in these tumors.

Observation:

This study presents a case of a histologically typical nodular basal cell carcinoma that demonstrated features of acantholysis.
The presence of acantholysis in a nodular BCC challenges the typical understanding of its occurrence in keratinocytic neoplasms.

Findings:

Acantholysis was observed in a nodular basal cell carcinoma, a finding not previously well-documented in this BCC subtype.
This observation expands the spectrum of histological variations seen in basal cell carcinomas.

Implications:

The occurrence of acantholysis in BCC suggests a potential overlap in the cellular mechanisms between different keratinocytic neoplasms.
Further research is needed to understand why acantholysis is so infrequently observed in BCCs compared to other keratinocytic tumors.
This case highlights the importance of considering acantholysis in the differential diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma variants.