Trichoblastoma/trichoblastic carcinoma: about two cases

Trichoblastomas (TBs) are rare slow-growing benign follicular tumors that typically involve the head and neck, and trichoblastic carcinoma (TC) is the malignant form of these tumors. They present similarities with basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Due to the rarity of these tumors, no specific consensus has been established so far.

We report two cases of patients with follicular tumors: the first one is a 65-year-old female patient with nasal TB and the second one is a 61-year-old male patient with nasal TC. Both of them were surgically treated and the diagnosis was confirmed by histological study.

TBs are rare slow-growing benign follicular tumors, and they can turn aggressive and form malignant forms such as TCs. They present clinical and histological similarities with BCC making their diagnosis challenging, and these tumors affect mostly the head and neck areas. TBs are usually presented as a skin-colored or pigmented papule or nodule. Surgical excisions with tumor-free margins are the primary form of treatment reported in the literature.

Differentiating TB/TC from BCC allows early and effective management, resulting in a good prognosis for both lesions.