Basal cell carcinoma and dermal nevi of the face: comparison of localization and dermatoscopic features

Background Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and dermal nevi located on the face can easily be confused on clinical examination. Little is known about the different preferential localizations of these entities, and a systematic analysis of dermatoscopic features for differential diagnosis is lacking. Methods Clinical and dermatoscopic images of BCCs and dermal nevi were retrospectively evaluated to study their relation to various face anatomical areas, BCC histotype, classic and nonclassic dermatoscopic BCC criteria, as well as typical dermatoscopic criteria for dermal nevi. Results We examined 118 BCCs and 77 dermal nevi, all having histopathological confirmation. BCCs were most frequently located on the lateral side of the forehead (12.7%), nasal dorsum (10.2%) and nasal ala (9.3%), while dermal nevi were found predominantly on the buccal area (11.8%), scalp (11.8%), and perioral region (10.8%). The prevalent dermatoscopic criteria for BCC were the classic arborizing vessels (94.1%) and arborizing microvessels (89%). The most common BCC histotype on the face was sclerodermiform (47.5%), followed by nodular (28%) and superficial (24.6%). Conclusions This study shows that BCCs are preferentially located on the lateral side of the forehead, nasal dorsum and nasal ala, while dermal nevi of the face are preponderantly located on the buccal area, scalp, and perioral region. The dermatoscopic features confirmed the frequency of classic and nonclassic criteria for BCCs already demonstrated in other studies. No significant site-specific features were observed for either BCCs or dermal nevi.