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Basal cell carcinoma arising from the nipple of the breast is an uncommon malignancy, with only a handful of cases reported in the literature. The diagnosis is, however, important because basal cell carcinoma in this location can mimic breast cancer, may behave aggressively, and there is a relative lack of consensus in its treatment. A case of basal cell carcinoma of the nipple is described in a 67-year-old man with a brief review of the literature.
(Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2004;128:792-793)
The skin of the nipple is a rare site of origin of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). A review of the literature reveals that only 18 cases of BCC have been reported in this location.1-3 Most have been from men, presumably due to the higher likelihood of the nipple area being sun exposed in this gender. This lesion may be deceptive in both its clinical appearance and its aggressiveness. Clinically, the diagnosis varies from inflammatory conditions of the skin of the nipple, to breast cancer, to BCC.1,4 Axillary lymph node metastasis has also been reported in 2 instances of BCC involving the nipple, raising the possibility of more aggressive behavior by this tumor when it arises in this location.23 In addition, there is a relative lack of consensus in the treatment of BCC of the nipple with wide excision, simple mastectomy, and/or radiation therapy employed.1-3 We report a case of BCC of the nipple in a 67-year-old man with a brief review of the literature.
REPORT OF A CASE
A 67-year-old white man presented to his physician's office with complaints of a bloody discharge from his left nipple. The patient had a history of BCC of the forehead, which was excised in 1998 with no recurrence. Physical examination revealed a 0.6cm ulcerated and erythematous area over his nipple. There were no palpable masses of the breast and no axillary...