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Original article

Neglected tumor in a female with albinism

Neglected tumor in a female with albinism

Fred Bernardes Filho1,&, Andreia de Oliveira Alves2

 

1Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, 2Medical School, Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

 

 

&Corresponding author
Fred Bernardes Filho, Dermatology Division, Department of Medical Clinics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

 

 

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A 48-year-old female with albinism presented to emergency department with a complaint of a three-day history of nausea and vomiting, accompanied by fever and general weakness. She had a towel wrapped around her left arm and said it was to cover a wound that was growing in size in the last two years. On physical examination, vegetating and exophytic ulcerous tumor on the lateral side of the left arm was observed; there was granulation tissue on all surfaces, release of fluid with pustules and hemorrhagic points. She had a pulse rate of 125/min, blood pressure of 136/78 mmHg, temperature of 38.5 C, (101.3 F) and respiratory rate of 16/min. Laboratory testing was remarkable for elevated white blood cells at 18,230/mm3 with left shift and C-reactive protein of 85.4 mg/dl; chest radiography and urine analysis were normal. Biopsy was performed, the diagnosis of giant cutaneous basosquamous cell carcinoma was made and she was referred to oncology department, but her follow-up was lost because she was not found.

 

 

Figure 1: giant basosquamous cell carcinoma. A bulky, friable tumor on the left arm, measuring 20cm in length x 15cm in width, with elevated and irregular borders