Basal cell carcinoma: seven years' experience at the Institute of Dermatology in Bangkok.

Sixty-seven patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were observed at the Institute of Dermatology, Bangkok, Thailand between 1982 and 1989. The male:female ratio was 1:2. The average age of the patients at first examination was 60.6 years. Lesions in sun-exposed areas were three times more frequent than lesions in covered areas. The principal location was the face, including the cheek, nose, periorbital area, ears, and forehead. The remainder were on the scalp, breast, abdomen, back, thigh, and knee. Ulceration was the most frequent symptom, followed by a mass. Histopathologically, pigmented BCC was the most frequent, followed by solid BCC, superficial BCC, adenoid BCC, morphoeic BCC, cystic BCC, basosquamous BCC, mixed carcinoma, keratotic BCC, and fibroepitheliomatous BCC. In patients younger than 50 years of age, solid or pigmented tumors were frequent. The morphoeic type was present only on the face and scalp. In females, solid BCC or adenoid BCC predominated. Only 4 of our 67 patients had histories of ingestion of herbal medicine with arsenic as one of the ingredients. Sixty-one patients were treated surgically. There was only one case of tumor recurrence after surgery. The remaining patients were treated by electric cautery, liquid nitrogen, or irradiation. No patients developed distant metastasis.