THE PITS IN THE NEVOID BASAL CELL CARCINOMA SYNDROME
- 1 May 1971
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Dermatology
- Vol. 103 (5) , 568-569
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archderm.1971.04000170102033
Abstract
To the Editor.— The concept that the socalled pits in the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCC) might represent "formes frustes" of basal cell carcinoma (Arch Derm102:586, 1970) is most interesting and stimulating. May I be allowed to pursue this line of thinking further. According to Lever,1 basal cell carcinomas arise either from embryonal primary epithelial germ cells (which probably applies to the nevoid basal cell carcinomas) or (as in the case of basal cell carcinomas occurring in later life)—from immature, pluripotential cells, that form continuously during life and, like the former, can differentiate toward hair, sebaceous gland, or apocrine gland structures. Depending upon the degree of differentiation prior to the onset of neoplasia, appendage tumors of different degrees of maturity are formed, basal cell carcinoma being the least mature. I propose that the pits, being indeed abortive basal cell carcinomas, cannot develop into full-fledged basal cellThis publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: