A 74-year-old female presented for a complete skin examination in May 2016. She had a history of actinic keratoses and five basal cell carcinomas. There were several new skin lesions since her last visit six months earlier.\nShe also had a previous mantle cell lymphoma. In February 2015, she had achieved a clinical remission after receiving three cycles of Rituxan and Treanda that was followed by an autologous stem cell transplant in April 2015. She also has a past medical history of diabetes mellitus (controlled with diet), obstructive sleep apnea (treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy) and a recent deep vein thrombosis (that is currently being treated with Coumadin).\nThe cutaneous examination was remarkable for four erythematous scaling plaques on her arms and back, consistent clinically with actinic keratoses. She had three red plaques, each approximately 6 x 4 mm, on her right upper central back, right upper mid back and right hip (Figure ). In addition, she had a 2 x 2 mm red dot within a 7 x 9 mm area of erythema on her left mid back (Figures -); the lesion blanched when pressed with a glass microscope slide (Figure ).\nThe actinic keratoses were treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. The back lesions were each biopsied using a shave technique. The red dot on the left mid back showed superficial buds and nodular aggregates of basaloid tumor cells extending from the epidermis into the dermis; there were also telangiectatic blood vessels in the papillary dermis (Figures -). The other back lesions and right hip lesion also showed similar appearing tumor cells along the basal layer of the epidermis and in the superficial dermis.\nCorrelation of the clinical presentation and pathologic findings of the left mid back lesion was a red dot basal cell carcinoma (with superficial and nodular tumor aggregates). The tumor was excised using the Mohs technique. Only one stage was required for cancer removal; the size of the defect was 15 x 11 mm. A complex layered closure was used to repair the surgical wound.\nThe three superficial and nodular basal cell carcinomas on the right back and right hip were also subsequently excised using the Mohs technique; the surgical wounds were closed with complex layered closures. Follow-up examination six months later showed excellent healing of the four surgical sites and no evidence of recurrence.
A 71-year-old male presented for a complete skin examination in November 2016. He had a history of actinic keratoses, a basal cell carcinoma, and a squamous cell carcinoma. He had new skin lesions on his nose.\nHis past medical history was significant for hyperlipidemia (treated with simvastatin) and coronary artery disease (and currently receiving clopidogrel).\nThe cutaneous examination was remarkable for 11 erythematous scaling plaques on his face and arms, consistent clinically with actinic keratoses. There is a 1 x 1 mm red dot surrounded by a 2 x 2 mm flesh-colored papule on his left nostril (Figures -). The lesion did not blanch when pressed with a glass microscope slide (Figure ).\nThe actinic keratoses were treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. The lesion on his left nostril was biopsied using the shave technique. Microscopic examination of the lesion showed nodular aggregates of basaloid tumor cells extended from the adjacent epidermis into the dermis. There were also telangiectatic blood vessels in the papillary dermis (Figures -).\nCorrelation of the clinical presentation and pathologic findings of the nasal tip lesion was a red dot basal cell carcinoma (with nodular tumor aggregates). Excision of the tumor using the Mohs technique is planned.