Historically, persons with albinism (PWA) were thought to develop squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) more frequently than basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Recent evidence suggests BCCs in PWA are more common than initially hypothesized. The study aimed to characterize the presentation of BCC in PWA. The researchers have taken Fifty‐four PWA with lesions suspicious for non‐melanoma skin cancer sought care at Tanzanian dermatologic clinics from 2017 to 2019. They recorded all the demographic and clinical presentation data. They completed a Histologic analysis of each sample.

The majority of PWA were female (53.7%), with a mean age of 34.6 ± 14.9 years and a mean duration of disease of 0.70 ± 0.73 years. Physician description of histologically proven BCC included ulceration (41.7%), erythema (16.7%), and scale (16.7%). Lesions were most commonly located on the trunk (47.1%) and face (41.2%). Histologic analysis demonstrated 30.2% of lesions were BCC, 26.4% SCC, and 17% Bowen’s disease. The patient population was limited to those visiting clinics, and the medical record’s accuracy determined data. Basal cell carcinoma occurs at a higher rate than SCC in our people, suggesting BCC in PWA is underdiagnosed. It is essential to recognize BCC early in PWA to avoid enormous disease burdens and high morbidity and mortality rates.

Ref: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.15071

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