PREVIOUS DIATHERMIC THERAPY AT THE SITE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASAL-CELL CARCINOMAS - A HYPOTHESIS OF ASSOCIATION

BACKGROUND. Factors associated with the development of basal cell carc inomas (BCCs) are radiation exposure, sunlight, trauma, and burns. OBJ ECTIVE. We wish to further document the relationship between the devel opment of BCCs and previous diathermic exposure for therapeutical purp oses. Moreover, we compared the histological subtypes of BCCs develope d in patients with or without previous therapy. METHODS. A retrospecti ve study of 1053 patients with BCCs seen at our dermatologic clinic wa s performed. RESULTS. Twenty-three patients had histories of diathermi c therapy for different osteoarticular problems. The interval of time between the treatments and the appearance of the tumor was 12-31 years . The histologic subtypes involved were the same of other BCCs on the same areas. CONCLUSIONS. Our study supports the association of BCCs an d diathermic therapy in the development of the tumor of the previously treated areas. Histological subtypes no not seem to be affected by en vironmental factors but are a characteristic of the site location of t he tumor. (C) 1998 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, I nc.