Diseases of the Skin

Verruca Vulgaris
• Organ : Skin
• Etiology : HPV
• MOT : Direct contact w/ lesions
• Gross features : gray-white to tan, flat to convex, 0.1 to 1 cm papules
with rough, pebble-like appearance
Verruca Vulgaris
• Microscopic features: Epidermal hyperplasia
• Cytoplasmic vacuolization producing haloes of pallor surrounding
infected nuclei (koilocytosis)

• Hallmark : koilocytes
• Site : dorsal surface and periungual are of hands
Basal Cell Carcinoma
• Incidence – most common invasive cancer in humans
• Cell of origin – cells of basel layer of epidermis
• Location- usually appears on areas of skin that receive frequent
sunexposure, face, ear, neck, chest, back, or scalp
• Pathogenesis: mutation that activate the hedgehog pathway signaling
• Loss-of-function mutation of Patched protein (PTCH) – release of
transmembrane protein “smoothened” (SMO) – activation of transcription
factor GLI1
Basal Cell Carcinoma
• GROSS : Pearly papules containing prominent dilated supbepidermal
blood vessels
• Some tumors contain melanin and superficially resemble melanomas
Basal Cell Carcinoma
• Microscopic: nodular lesions
• Islands of basophilic cells with hyperchromatic nuclei
• Arranged radially with their long axes in parallel alignment at
periphery (palisading)
• Surrounded by lymphocytes and fibroblast
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Incidence : 2nd most common tumor arising on sun-exposed sites in older
people; men > women

• Predisposing factors
• Exposure to UV light – most common cause
• Immunosuppresion
• Industrial carcinogen
• Chronic ulcers
• Old burn scars
• Ingestion of arsenics
• Ionizing radiation
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
• Gross Feature : in-situ - sharply defined, red scaling plaques
• Advanced – nodular,hyperkeratotic scale, ulcerated

• Microscopic:
• Polygonal cells arranged in lobules, nest of swirls
• Keratin pearls