title: Pulmonary metastasis from a basal-cell carcinoma of the retroauricular region.
abstract: Basal-cell carcinoma of the skin is a common facial neoplasm, usually regarded as benign. It is also called basalioma. Distant metastasis is very rare and may involve the brain, lung, and bones. We report a 74-year-old white male who was admitted to our hospital with cough and fever. Chest radiograph revealed an opacity of 2 x 1 cm in diameter in the upper lobe of the right lung. Bronchoscopy and thoracic fine-needle aspiration could not establish a diagnosis. Therefore the patient underwent right thoracotomy and wedge excision of the lesion. Histologic evaluation was consistent with pulmonary metastasis of a facial basal-cell carcinoma. The patient recovered uneventfully from surgery and is well 5 years after the operation. According to the English literature the median survival of patients with metastatic basal-cell carcinoma is 10 months. The clinical features, pathology, and treatment of this rare entity are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Heidehaus Hospital, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ostertag
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doolas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011379:Prognosis