Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 62, Issue 4 , Pages 597-604, April 2010

Dermatoscopy of pigmented Bowen's disease

  • Alan Cameron, MBBS

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
    • ,
  • Cliff Rosendahl, MBBS

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
    • ,
  • Philipp Tschandl, CandMed

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Elisabeth Riedl, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • ,
  • Harald Kittler, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Harald Kittler, MD, Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.

Accepted 4 June 2009. published online 18 January 2010.

Background

Pigmented Bowen's disease is not well characterized.

Objective

To characterize the clinical and dermatoscopic appearance of pigmented Bowen's disease.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 52 consecutive cases of pigmented Bowen's disease.

Results

Of 951 histopathologically verified cases of Bowen's disease that underwent biopsy during the study period, 52 (5.5%) were pigmented. Dermatoscopically pigmented Bowen's disease is typified by a pattern of dots and/or structureless zones. In 21.2% (n=11), we observed brown or gray dots arranged in a linear fashion. Vessels were identified in 67.3% of lesions with a predomination of coiled vessels. A linear arrangement of vessels was seen in 11.5%.

Limitations

Conclusions are limited by the fact that this was a retrospective, uncontrolled study.

Conclusions

Pigmented Bowen's disease has a characteristic dermatoscopic pattern. Linear arrangement of brown and/or gray dots and/or coiled vessels is a specific clue to pigmented Bowen's disease.

Key words: Bowen's disease, dermatopathology, dermatoscopy, non-melanoma skin cancer

Abbreviations used: BD, Bowen's disease, pBD, pigmented Bowen's disease

 

 Funding sources: None.

 Conflicts of interest: None declared.

PII: S0190-9622(09)00708-7

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.06.008

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 62, Issue 4 , Pages 597-604, April 2010