[Squamous cell carcinoma in black patients: 80 cases].
BACKGROUND
Squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumor of the skin, rarely observed in "black" skin. It often complicates an acquired or congenital pre-neoplastic dermatosis. We report on 80 cases of squamous cell carcinoma having occurred in black African patients from Senegal.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed all the medical files of patients followed-up in the department for histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma from 1980 to 1999.


RESULTS
Eighty cases of carcinoma were collected. The mean age of the patients was of 47 years (range: 1 to 85) and the sex ratio was of 1.35 (46 men and 34 women). A pre-neoplastic dermatosis was identified in 65% the patients. Acquired pre-neoplastic dermatosis was: heat burn scars (15 cases), chronic discoid lupus erythematosus (6 cases) and chronic phagedenic ulcer (4 cases). Pre-neoplastic genodermatoses were: albinism (6 cases), xeroderma pigmentosum (5 cases) and epidermodysplasia verruciformis (1 case). Lesions were multiple and cephalic in patients with genodermatosis. Death due to carcinoma occurred in 8 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This large series of squamous cell carcinoma emphasizes: the rarity of squamous cell carcinomas in black patients and the frequency of its occurrence on acquired pre-existing dermatosis. For many years phagedenic ulcers predominated. Our results show the regression of the latter and its increase on post-burn scars and chronic lupus erythematosus. Pre-neoplastic genodermatoses that determine multiple cancers, usually located on sun-exposed areas and occurring in young patients, are particularly severe.
Dieng
M-T
MT
Service de Dermatologie et de Vénéréologie du CHU le Dantec, BP 300I Dakar, Sénégal.
Diop
N-N
NN
Déme
A
A
Sy
T-N
TN
Niang
S-O
SO
Ndiaye
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*