THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BASAL-CELL EPITHELIOMA AND SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS - A STUDY OF 60 CASES

BACKGROUND. Various skin tumors can be seen rarely in association with seborrheic keratosis. We present 60 cases of seborrheic keratosis rel ated to a basal cell epithelioma in the same specimen. OBJECTIVE. To r eport association of basal cell epithelioma with seborrheic keratosis and discuss the possibility of malignant change in seborrheic keratosi s. METHODS. Sixty cases of seborrheic keratosis associated with basal cell epithelioma were studied. Tissues were fixed in neutral buffered formalin, processed, and stained with standard hematoxylin and eosin t echniques. RESULTS. Histological evaluation showed a seborrheic kerato sis associated with basal cell epithelioma in all of the cases. Basal cell epithelioma was attached with seborrheic keratosis in a majority of the cases (40/60) and appeared to represent a part of the same tumo r. Both tumors were lying adjacent to each other in the rest of the ca ses (20/60). CONCLUSION. Malignant change in seborrheic keratosis is c ontroversial. We recommend the histological evaluation of seborrheic k eratosis especially when inflamed or atypical in appearance. This shou ld not be taken as a mandate for pathological evaluation or for treatm ent of every seborrheic keratosis as though it was potentially maligna nt.