[Squamous cell carcinoma in black patients: 80 cases].

INTRODUCTION

Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor of the skin, rarely observed in "black" skin. It often complicates an acquired or congenital pre-neoplastic dermatosis. We report on 80 cases of squamous cell carcinoma having occurred in black African patients from Senegal.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed all the medical files of patients followed-up in the department for histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma from 1980 to 1999.

RESULTS

Eighty cases of carcinoma were collected. The mean age of the patients was of 47 years (range: 1 to 85) and the sex ratio was of 1.35 (46 men and 34 women). A pre-neoplastic dermatosis was identified in 65% the patients. Acquired pre-neoplastic dermatosis was: heat burn scars (15 cases), chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (6 cases) and chronic phagedenic ulcer (4 cases). Pre-neoplastic genodermatoses were: albinism (6 cases), xeroderma pigmentosum (5 cases) and epidermodysplasia verruciformis (1 case). Lesions were multiple and cephalic in patients with genodermatosis. Death due to carcinoma occurred in 8 patients.

COMMENTS: This large series of squamous cell carcinoma emphasizes: the rarity of squamous cell carcinomas in black patients and the frequency of its occurrence on acquired pre-existing dermatosis. For many years phagedenic ulcers predominated. Our results show the regression of the latter and its increase on post-burn scars and chronic lupus erythematosus. Pre-neoplastic genodermatoses that determine multiple cancers, usually located on sun-exposed areas and occurring in young patients, are particularly severe.