[Formation of elastic fibers around basal cell carcinomas: light microscopical observations (author's transl)]

From 275 specimens of all sorts of basal cell epitheliomas the new formation of elastic fibers was histologically investigated by means of selective elastic tissue stains such as orcein and resorcinfuchsin. In nearly one third of the basal cell epitheliomas newly formed elastic fibers could be observed in the stroma. In places where a new formation of elastic fibers was demonstrated fibroblasts and mast cells (toluidine blue stain) were unusually numerous. Apparently the influence of the growing tumor masses of basal cell epitheliomas leads to a dermo-epidermal interaction in the form of 1. increase of mast cells 2. stimulation of fibroblasts 3. new formation of elastic fibers. The observation suggest that there exists a relationship between the above noted findings. Due to the dermo-epithelial interaction (even in senile skin) in the stroma of basal cell epithelioma fibroblasts can be stimulated to such a degree that they regain the ability to produce elastic fibers-a function which usually is greatly diminished with increasing age. The findings seem to be important from the view point of rejuvenation of aging human skin.