Analysis of Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma according to Nasal Subunit Location

Abstract The nose is highly vulnerable to skin cancers due to the unavoidable sun exposure. The most common localization of skin cancers on the face is nose. Although the nose appears to be a single structure, it comprises many aesthetic units with different histological and anatomical properties. Our aim was to determine the relationship between the prevalence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), histologically and anatomically distinct nasal subunits. The study included patients who underwent excision and repair due to BCC or SCC of the nose. The lesions were classified according to their location in the following topographic subunits: tip, alar lobule, dorsum, sidewall, and medial canthal region. Patients were analyzed according to age, sex, topographic subunit, tumor type, and repair technique. There was no statistically significant difference in tumor location according to etiology (p > 0.05). The alar subunit was the most common location of BCC, while the dorsum was the most common location for SCC. There is no statistical relationship between the two most common skin cancers, BCC and SCC, and the aesthetic subunits of the nose. The only factor associated with the reconstruction method used was the subunit in which the tumor was located.