title: Basal cell carcinoma with tumor epithelial and stromal giant cells: a variant of pleomorphic basal cell carcinoma.
abstract: A case of basal cell carcinoma with giant cells of the central epithelial and surrounding stromal components is presented. The lesion was an 8-mm dome-shaped papule on the ear of a 66-year-old man. The giant cells of the epithelial component shared the immunophenotype of the more typical cells of the basal cell carcinoma (keratin, smooth muscle actin, and bcl-2 positive), whereas the stromal giant cells were positive only for bcl-2. This case represents a peculiar variant of pleomorphic basal cell carcinoma, the significance of which is unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Stanford University Hospital, California, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Meehan
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Egbert
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Rouse
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D007633:Keratins