Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva: a case report and systematic review of the literature

The vulva is an unusual site for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Vulvar BCC accounts for <1% of all BCCs and <5% of all vulvar malignancies. We report the case of an 83 year‐old woman who presented with a 2‐month history of a tender labial growth, with histopathology confirming nodular BCC. We conducted a systematic literature review of the characteristics of reported cases of vulvar BCCs. A comprehensive systematic review of articles indexed for MEDLINE and Embase yielded 96 reports describing 437 patients with 446 BCCs of the vulva. The mean age at presentation was 70 (range 20–100). Most women had no underlying vulvar disease. Approximately 60% of cases were of the nodular subtype. Treatment approach varied widely with over half of cases treated with wide local or local excision. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for vulvar BCC was first reported in 1988 with seven total MMS cases reported. Twenty‐three cases of recurrence have been reported; 21 of these cases after local excision but none following MMS. Vulvar BCC is a rarely reported cancer that affects older women predominantly. MMS represents a promising treatment for BCC in this anatomic location.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150570/1/ijd14307.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150570/2/ijd14307_am.pd

Basal cellcarcinoma of the vulva

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common human malignancy, accounting for 75% of all non-melanoma skin cancer, is uncommon on unexposed skin such as the perianal and genital regions. We describe a woman with BCC of the vulva treated with local resection. All margins of excision were free of disease. The patient recovered without complication and there have been no recurrences after 2 years of follow-up. Approximately 200 cases of BCC on perianal and genital skin have been reported in the literature. Although the aetiology of vulvar BCC is not known, early diagnosis is important. Because BCC in these sites sometimes seems innocuous, biopsy of all suspect lesions is advisable