Dermatology Case Study: Basal Cell Carcinoma
A 72-year-old Caucasian male presents in your Primary Care practice for a “bump” on his nose. He noticed it several months ago but did not seek medical attention since it did not hurt or was not itchy. He thinks it has grown and bleeds easily when irritated. Based on the case study and the symptoms of basal cell carcinoma, it is clear that Basal cell skin pump primarily appears on the face, nose, legs, eyelids, arm, and ear.
Basal Cell Carcinoma Diagnosis
The development of a mutation of basal cells in the skin causes basal cell Carcinoma skin disease. The basal cell is the skin’s outermost layer and produces new skin cells. Furthermore, the condition is a type of common cancer, and the collective predictive factor of Basel Cell Carcinoma is sun exposure, that why the bump appears in an exposed area to the sun, like the nose. Therefore, the raised border established on a sun-exposed site and a pearly papule with a central depression is characteristic of Basal Cell Carcinoma.
The condition is considered by its slow growth, which made the patient never experience pain and itching for a month. Basal Cell Carcinoma can take months to a year to develop, and during that period, it can be painless and stays at a single location without spreading to other parts of the body (Bichakjian et al., 2018). Afterward, a laboratory test is essential via wedge or excisional biopsies to confirm the diagnosis.
Assessment of Basal Cell Carcinoma
During the physical examination, the nurse discovered a pearly papule on the tip of the nose and an elevated boundary with central depression. After the assessment, the nurse expected to find a skin-colored shiny bump, a visible dark spot on the lesions, a scaly, flat patch with elevated raised edges, and a white waxy scar-like wound.
Diagnostic test
Skin biopsy- Extracting a small skin portion in the infected areas for testing in the research Centre is essential. The test will prove whether the patient has malignant skin growth. The type of skin biopsy depends on the size of the lesion. The basal cell’s DNA measures the process of creating the skin cell. Much damage to the Basal cell is caused by DNA mutation cells resulting from ultraviolet (UV) when the sun exposes the bump.
According to Dika et al. (2020), the patient should comprehend the UV from the sun and its availability in all weather conditions. Furthermore, the client should identify when the sun is hottest during the day to avoid exposing the bump during that period. Other protective precautions include skin protection by using sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 and above. If possible, the patient should rest in a shaded area and cover frequently exposed areas with clothing. Furthermore, applying sunscreen lotion to the exposed area and wearing a hat to protect parts of the ear, face, and neck is advisable.
References
Bichakjian, C., Armstrong, A., Baum, C., Bordeaux, J. S., Brown, M., Busam, K. J., … & Rodgers, P. (2018). Guidelines of care for the management of basal cell carcinoma. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 78(3), 540-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2017.10.006
Dika, E., Scarfì, F., Ferracin, M., Broseghini, E., Marcelli, E., Bortolani, B., … & Lambertini, M. (2020). Basal cell carcinoma: a comprehensive review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(15), 5572. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155572