Pigmented basal cell carcinoma in Hispanics.

Abstract

Pigmented basal cell carcinoma (PBCC) may occasionally be misdiagnosed as melanoma. In the Hispanic population, PBCC is common. We attempted to determine the prevalence of PBCC in a Hispanic population. A randomized, blinded, retrospective study was designed to assess histologic slides for the presence of microscopic pigment. Basal cell carcinoma (BCCs) from 30 patients with a Hispanic surname were compared histologically with BCCs from 30 patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective phase of the study, 15 Hispanic and 44 non-Hispanic patients with clinically suspected BCC or PBCC completed a questionnaire about their ethnic background and skin type to determine whether PBCC is more common in Hispanics. Pigment was identified twice as frequently in BCCs from patients with a Hispanic surname than in BCCs from patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective clinical study, 66% of clinically diagnosed PBCCs were found in Hispanic patients, whereas only 11% of nonpigmented BCCs came from Hispanic patients (p < 0.01). In patients with a BCC, PBCCs are more common in Hispanics than non-Hispanics. This may reflect an increased incidence of PBCCs in the Hispanic population.