Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Acantholytic - DermAtlas

Contributor

Greg Hosler, MD, PhD

Diagnosis

carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell, acantholytic

Body Site

scalp

Age

76 years

Pigmentation

light

Organization

discrete

Color

red

Morphology

papule

Pattern

solitary

Comments

This lesion is from the scalp of a 76-year-old man. It is a good example of an acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma, a more aggressive subtype of squamous cell carcinoma.

Description

Histologic sections of skin show an infiltrative lesion involving the epidermis and extending to the base of the biopsy. The lesion consists of large, polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm and nuclear pleomorphism. The atypical cells appear to originate along the basal layer of the epidermis as an actinic keratosis, and then invade into the dermis as irregular cystic spaces. Acantholysis is demonstrated at higher power.

Image Added

1/5/2006 21:56:17

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Other Resources

PubMed Medline Plus Medscape

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