Basal cell carcinoma: Histopathological spectrum at a tertiary care center

Background: Histologically, various subtypes of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) have been described which include superficial, nodular, keratotic, basosquamous, adenoid, cystic, and morpheiform. Objectives: The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) To find out the histological types of BCC prevalent in our population and (2) to study the clinical profile of these patients regarding age, sex, location, and clinical diagnosis. Materials and Methods: A 3-year retrospective study was carried out in the histopathology section of a tertiary care teaching hospital. The clinical data pertaining to the cases were compiled and studied. H and E stained slides were reviewed and some were recategorized according to the WHO classification. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of a total of 67 skin tumors, 34 were malignant. Of these, BCC comprised 44.1% (15 cases). The most common location of BCC was the face (53.3% of the cases). The average age of the patients was 54.5 years. Histological types included nodular, adenoid, infiltrative, nodulocystic, basosquamous, keratotic, superficial, and BCC with adnexal differentiation. Nodular BCC was the most commonly encountered type in our setting, followed by adenoid BCC. Clinical diagnosis correlated with histopathologic findings in 33.3% of cases. Conclusion: This study highlights the morphological spectrum of BCC in our population and emphasizes the role of histopathological examination to prevent misdiagnosis of these tumors.