Skin carcinoma arising in Leishmania scar: Report of four cases

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most frequent skin cancers. The etiology of these tumors is multifactorial: Environmental and exogenous factors, genotype and phenotype factors. The development of malignant neoplasms at sites of previous dermal scars is an uncommon but well recognized phenomenon, and since almost all of them were developed on exposed areas it has been hypothesized that the accompanying atrophy and decreased vascularity and adnexal structures in areas of scarring may render the affected tissues more susceptible to the effects of environmental factors, eg. ultraviolet light. We report four cases of BCC and SCC on old leishmania scars on face, and recommend that any changes on scars must be evaluated clinically and pathologically.