Histopathological Characteristics May Not Be Useful in the Differential Diagnosis Between Basal Cell Carcinoma and Benign Tumors of Cutaneous Appendages Originating from Hair Follicle

The study compared 30 cases of benign tumors of cutaneous appendages originating from hair follicles (BTCOHF), including trichoadenoma (TA), trichofolliculoma (TF), trichoepithelioma (TE), and trichoblastoma (TB), with 30 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) to determine if histopathological characteristics could aid in differential diagnosis. The cases, collected from 2004 to 2008, were analyzed for age, sex, localization, and histopathological features such as ulceration, pigmentation, inflammation, and cyst formation. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, and histopathological characteristics. Ulceration was significantly present in TE and TB but not in TA and TF. Other features like pigmentation, inflammation, and cyst formation did not show significant differences among the subgroups of either group. The study concluded that BCC and BTCOHF cannot be reliably distinguished based on these histopathological features, which could potentially lead to serious misdiagnoses.