[Basocellular carcinoma in a smallpox vaccination scar]

Abstract

A 52 year old housewife was vaccinated against smallpox at the age of 18, on her right deltoid area. At the age of 50 she noticed erythema and scaling on the vaccination scar and 2 years later a nodule appear that enlarged during the following 3 months. There was no history nor skin changes suggestive of significant sun exposure. The histological examination of an initial biopsy and of the subsequently excised lesion revealed a basal cell carcinoma of the solid type. The relevant literature was reviewed and discussed with emphasis on sex and age incidence, age and site of vaccination, free interval between inoculation and tumor appearance, coexistence or not of other sun induced neoplasias and precancerous lesions and other possibly relevant clinical and etiopathogenetic aspects.