What does the above specimen show? Answer Basal cell carcinoma. The picture shows nests of tumour cells invading the dermis. The tumour shows palisading of the nuclei. There are also inflammatory cells within the dermis.
How does the histology of case 2 differ from case 1? a Answer Both show basal cell carcinoma. In case 2, the histology shows strands of basal cell carcinoma separated by abundant fibrous tissue. This is a sclerosing or morpheaform of basal cell carcinoma. How does the histology in these two cases affect the treatment? a Answer The margin of case 1 (nodular basal cell carcinoma) can usually be distinguished clinically. Whereas case 2 has diffuse infiltration making delineation of the border difficult. Therefore, complete surgical excision with the naked eye can be difficult in case 2. Moh's micrographic procedure is recommended in morpheaform variant of basal cell carcinoma.
