Basal cell carcinoma arising in a cleft lip repair scar.
BACKGROUND
A case of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) developing in the repair scar of a cleft lip is presented.


OBJECTIVE
Primary BCCs arising in surgical scars are very rare and no known reported cases exist of a BCC developing in a surgically repaired cleft lip scar.


METHODS
A 69-year-old white man presented with a 5 mm primary BCC on his upper lip at the site of his cleft lip repair scar. The diagnosis was made by a tangential biopsy that showed an ulcerated BCC.


RESULTS
Review of the medical literature indicates that a scar may be an independent risk factor for developing BCC.


CONCLUSIONS
BCC may rarely arise in a cleft lip repair scar.
Wright
M W
MW
University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Dermatology, Galveston, Texas 77555-0783, USA.
McCarthy
R A
RA
Kelly
E B
EB
Wright
S T
ST
Wagner
R F
RF
D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications*; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male