Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Narrative Review on Contemporary Diagnosis and Management.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common, accounting for 80-90% of skin cancers. It arises from the basal layer of the epidermis and its appendages. A complex interplay of environmental, phenotypic and genetic variables leads to the development of BCC. Literature has documented several clinical subtypes of BCC, the most common of which are nodular, superficial and morpheaform. Expeditious diagnosis and analysis are essential for improving the outcome of BCC. Preventive measures, particularly when implemented in childhood and adolescence, may play a critical role. Due to its low metastatic potential, treatment for BCC mostly focuses on local management. The standard treatment of basal cell carcinoma involved complete removal of the lesion by excision or Mohs surgery. In special circumstances, basal cell carcinoma can be treated with cryosurgery, electrodesiccation and curettage, topical medications and photodynamic therapy. This review aimed to evaluate the contemporary diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma.

Experience with telepathology in combination with diagnostic assistance systems in countries with restricted resources.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the use of telepathology in countries with restricted resources using two diagnosis assistance systems (Isabel and Memem7) in addition to the diagnoses made by experts in pathology via the iPath-Network. METHODS: A total of 156 cases, largely from Afghanistan, were analysed; 18 cases had to be excluded because of poor image quality. RESULTS: Of the remaining 138 cases (100%), a responsible physician provided a tentative diagnosis for 61.6% of them. With a diagnosis from a consultant pathologist, it was then possible to make a definite diagnosis in 84.8% of cases on the basis of images taken from hematoxylin and eosin staining sections alone. The use of the diagnosis assistance systems resulted in an ordered list of differential diagnoses in 82.6% (IsabelHealth) and in 74.6% (Memem7) of cases, respectively. Adding morphological terminology reduced the list of possible diagnoses to 52.2% (72 cases, Memem7), but improved their quality. DISCUSSION: In summary, diagnosis assistance systems are promising approaches to provide physicians in countries with restricted resources with lists of probable differential diagnoses, thus increasing the plausibility of the diagnosis of the consultant pathologist.

Prevalence and clinicopathological characteristics of appendiceal carcinoids in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates).

AIM: To determine the incidence and clinico-pathological profile of appendiceal carcinoids in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for clinically suspected acute appendicitis in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: The study included the retrospective data of 964 patients operated for clinically suspected acute appendicitis, and the resected specimens were received at Al-Qasmi Hospital (Sharjah) from January 2010 to December 2010. The data of the patients who were histologically reported to have carcinoid tumors of the appendix were extensively evaluated for the patient's demographics, indication for surgery, surgical procedure, tumor localization in the appendix, diameter of the lesion, concomitant appendicitis, immunohistochemistry studies and clinical follow-up. RESULTS: Out of the 964 patients included in the study, 9 (0.93%) were found to have appendiceal carcinoids. The mean age reported was 28.7 years with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Eight tumors were located near the tip of the appendix with a mean diameter of 3.3 mm, while the remaining one was near the proximal end of the appendix. All the cases were associated with concomitant suppurative appendicitis. In seven reported cases, tumors were confined to the muscular layer while in one case each there was an extension to the serosa and mesoappendix, respectively. All tumors were found to be positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin and neuron-specific enolase on immunohistochemistry but negative for cytokeratin-7. None of the patients developed recurrence or any reportable complications in the short follow-up period (12-26 mo) that was arranged as a six-monthly re-evaluation by abdominal ultrasonography. CONCLUSION: Our study found a higher incidence of appendiceal carcinoids in patients undergoing emergency appendectomy for acute appendicitis in Sharjah, UAE compared to two previous studies from the Persian Gulf region. Interestingly, tumors were found to be more commonly in young males, which is in contrast to previous studies. Moreover, all the tumors were positive for common neuroendocrine markers.