title: Bowen's disease: epidemiological and clinical study of 9 Tunisian cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bowen's disease (BD) is a form of in situ SCC, characterized by chronic and progressive course, with low potential for invasive malignancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess epidemiology and clinical features of BD in a Tunisian cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 9 cases of BD managed in a Tunisian dermatology department.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7 males (77.8%) and 2 females (22.2%). The mean age of patients was about 68.8 years (46-89). Lesions were solitary in 7 cases and occurred in various sites: face (1 patient), trunk (2 patients), limbs (6 patients). The mean diameter of the tumour was about 3.4 cm. Lesions presented clinically as an enlarging well demarcated erythematous plaque with irregular borders and crusted or scaling surface. Histological examination showed in all cases abnormal keratinocytes with disordered maturation and loss of polarity replacing the epidermis in its whole thickness. The main treatment was surgery (N=5). Only one patient had radiotherapy (case 1). Outcome was mentioned in 2 patients who remained free from recurrence respectively after a follow-up of 1 and 12 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our series outlines epidemiological and clinical features of BD in Tunisia through a small but representative sample. As in the literature, this condition prevailed mainly over 60 years. In our study, BD occurred predominantly in men and affected nonexposed sites in 8 cases. This profile is uncommon in a sunny country in Tunisia, in the absence of other aetiological agents.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benmously Mlika
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerkeni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Badri
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fenniche
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001913:Bowen's Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014416:Tunisia