Clinical and Dermoscopic Features of a Rare Histologic Variant: Acantholytic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), in which significant portions of the neoplastic proliferation show a pseudoglandular or tubular microscopic pattern. It's a rare tumor representing 2 to 4% of all cutaneous SCC, and it is usually found on the sun exposed areas of elderly patients with a notable male predominance. The prognosis of this variant is matter of debate, although it appears to behave more aggressively than non-acantholytic, well-differentiated SCC. We report a rare case of a 92 year old female patient presenting with an ASCC of the left cheek emphasizing the dermoscopic signs found, that are missing in the literature.