BASAL-CELL CARCINOMAS ARISING OVER ARTERIOVENOUS-MALFORMATIONS - SOMESPECULATIONS ON THE THEME

The modulating effects of mesoderm on ectoderm during the embryonic pe riod have been well documented. Some cutaneous conditions such as derm atofibroma with basaloid proliferation are examples of such a relation ship. Seven cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) developing in port-win e stains and one case developing over an arteriovenous (AV) malformati on have been reported. We report 3 elderly patients with BCC developin g over AV malformations of the lower extremities. The association betw een BCC and AV malformation range from a chance association to a compl ex interaction between mesenchyme and epithelium, in which mesenchyme induces and modulates epithelial growth through the elaboration of spe cific growth factors (GF).