Document Type : Original Article

Authors

National University of Colombia, Internal Medicine Department, Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represents nearly 80% of
cutaneous malignancies. Dermoscopy is a useful tool to increase
the precision of diagnosis, but its findings for BCC are mainly
described in patients from Europe, the US, and Australia. BCC
dermoscopy patterns are not fully known in patients with skin
photo-types III and IV in Latin America, especially in Colombia.
We aimed to describe dermoscopy findings in patients with BCC
and III-IV Fitzpatrick skin types in a Colombian population.
Methods: A descriptive, retrospective and prospective
observational study was carried out on patients with BCC.
Clinical and dermoscopy photos were taken, with the diagnosis
confirmed via histopathology.
Results: Thirty-six tumors were evaluated. Women were more
affected. The main BCC feature was a nodular clinical and
histological subtype. The more frequent dermoscopy findings
were arboriform microvessels, thin telangiectasias, and multiple
gray-blue globules. Tumors greater than 6 mm predominantly
showed ulceration and polymorphic vessels. The presence of
ovoid nests, structures in maple leaves, and polymorphic vessels
were related to the superficial clinical subtype.
Conclusions: Different features related to size, clinical pattern, and
the presence of vascular and pigmentary changes in dermoscopy
were present in this population. A new dermoscopy finding of
a yellowish type “amber background” in BCC was described.

Keywords