title: Pigmented basal cell carcinoma in Hispanics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pigmented basal cell carcinoma (PBCC) may occasionally be misdiagnosed as melanoma. In the Hispanic population, PBCC is common.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We attempted to determine the prevalence of PBCC in a Hispanic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, blinded, retrospective study was designed to assess histologic slides for the presence of microscopic pigment. Basal cell carcinoma (BCCs) from 30 patients with a Hispanic surname were compared histologically with BCCs from 30 patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective phase of the study, 15 Hispanic and 44 non-Hispanic patients with clinically suspected BCC or PBCC completed a questionnaire about their ethnic background and skin type to determine whether PBCC is more common in Hispanics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pigment was identified twice as frequently in BCCs from patients with a Hispanic surname than in BCCs from patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective clinical study, 66% of clinically diagnosed PBCCs were found in Hispanic patients, whereas only 11% of nonpigmented BCCs came from Hispanic patients (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with a BCC, PBCCs are more common in Hispanics than non-Hispanics. This may reflect an increased incidence of PBCCs in the Hispanic population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bigler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Padilla
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D010860:Pigments, Biological