Skin Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Skin Cancer, including details on identification, causes, prevention, treatment.

Basal cell carcinoma with matrical differentiation: a case study with analysis of beta-catenin.

Haskell HD, Haynes HA, McKee PH, Redston M, Granter SR, Lazar AJ

Department of Pathology, Division of Dermatopathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Matrical differentiation in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is rare. Only nine cases have been described that showed typical diagnostic features of BCC, in addition to shadow cells indicating hair-matrix differentiation. These cases often present a diagnostic challenge due to confusion with pilomatrixoma or pilomatrix carcinoma. We present a case of BCC with matrical differentiation in a 78-year-old man. Immunohistochemical and molecular methods are used to differentiate this lesion from benign or malignant forms of pilomatrixoma. differentiation: a case study with analysis of beta-catenin.

Published 9 February 2005 in J Cutan Pathol, 32(3): 245-50.
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