Delayed Diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Lip: The Possible Role of Incidental Multinucleated Foreign Body Giant Cells

Delayed Diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Lip: The Possible Role of Incidental Multinucleated Foreign Body Giant Cells

Herpes simplex and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) can have similar clinical presentations due to overlapping lesional morphology. We describe the unusual case of a BCC masquerading as herpes labialis due to a possible false-positive Tzanck smear. The confounding diagnosis led to a failed trial of valacy...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joshua P. Hays, C. Helen Malone, Will E. Tausend, Brandon P. Goodwin, Richard F. Wagner Jr.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2017-06-01
Series:Case Reports in Dermatology
Subjects:
Basal cell carcinoma
Herpes
Herpes simplex
Tzanck smear
Valacyclovir
Acyclovir
Online Access:http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/477455
Description
Summary:Herpes simplex and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) can have similar clinical presentations due to overlapping lesional morphology. We describe the unusual case of a BCC masquerading as herpes labialis due to a possible false-positive Tzanck smear. The confounding diagnosis led to a failed trial of valacyclovir and subsequent loss of the patient for 1 year before the lesion was biopsied and diagnosed as a BCC. This case report highlights the importance of careful inspection of herpetic lesions and that further investigation should be pursued if the etiology is uncertain or if the treatment is not yielding the expected results.
ISSN:1662-6567

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