[Analysis of 41 cases of basal cell carcinoma in maxillofacial area].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence, location and relationship between surgical margin and metastasis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in maxillofacial area. METHOD: Retrospective study was undertaken of 41 cases of BCCs in the maxillofacial region diagnosed in histopathology during the period of 1996 to 2003. RESULT: From 1996 to 2003, there were 41 cases of primary BBC in maxillofacial region, of whom 17 were males and 24 were females (male-to-female ratio, 1:1.41). The age of BCCs patients was between 55-74 years old, the average age of female patients was 68.1 years old, and that of the male was 58.4 years old. The lesions of BCCs were found in 13 cases in the nose (31.7%), 8 cases in scalp skin (19.5%), 7 cases in periorbital skin (17.1%), 7 cases in perioral region (17.1%), 4 cases in cheek skin (9.8%) and 2 cases in auricle skin (4.89%). In patients who received operation, the difference of the positive rates between 0.3 cm and 0.5 cm of surgical margin of the T1 stage tumor was significant (P<0.05). Of all the 41 patients, 4 patients were found to suffer regional lymph nodes metastasis or local bone destruction at the first visit (9.8%), 3 patients (7.3%) had a recurrent BCC. CONCLUSION: The morbidity in elder female is higher than that of male at the same age. For tumors smaller than 2 cm in diameter, surgical margin of 0.5 cm is enough.