Nonrecurrent primary basal cell carcinoma of the lower extremity with late metastasis

Metastatic basal cell carcinoma (MBCC) is rare, with most cases of head and neck origin and from large multi-recurrent tumors. MBCC is very rare from lower extremities and even more rare from primary tumors that were small and treated without local recurrence.

This paper presents a case of MBCC in a 78-year-old woman who had previously undergone resection without local recurrence of a small lower extremity basal cell carcinoma.

MBCC can present atypically with site of origin on lower extremities, initial tumor size small, and nonrecurrence of the primary tumor site. The clinician should be aware of this as well as understand that prompt and aggressive surgical therapy to localized metastases may extend survival.