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Review
. 2022 Mar 3;13(2):177-189.
doi: 10.4103/idoj.idoj_257_21. eCollection 2022 Mar-Apr.

Bowen's Disease

Vijayasankar Palaniappan  1 , Kaliaperumal Karthikeyan  1
Affiliations
Review

Bowen's Disease

Vijayasankar Palaniappan et al. Indian Dermatol Online J. .

Abstract

Bowen's disease (BD) is an in-situ squamous cell carcinoma of epidermis. The etiology of BD is multifactorial with high incidence among Caucasians. BD is common in photo-exposed areas of skin, but other sites can also be involved. Lesions are usually solitary. The morphology of BD differs based on age of the lesion, site of origin, and the degree of keratinization. BD is considered as the "lull before the storm," which precedes an overt squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathology is the gold standard diagnostic modality to confirm the diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry, dermoscopy, and reflectance confocal microscopy are the adjuvant modalities used in the diagnosis of BD. The treatment depends on various factors like site, size, immune status, patient's age, esthetic outcome, etc. The available therapeutic modalities include topical chemotherapy, surgical modalities, light-based modalities, and destructive therapies. It requires a combined effort of dermatologist, oncosurgeon, and plastic surgeon to plan and execute the management in various presentations of BD.

Keywords: Bowen's disease; erythroplasia of Queyrat; squamous cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Etiopathogenesis model of Bowen's disease
Figure 2
Figure 2
A single well-defined erythematous scaly crusted plaque
Figure 3
Figure 3
Multifocal Bowen's disease - Focal erythematous scaly infiltrated plaques localized to vitiligo macules
Figure 4
Figure 4
Giant Bowen's disease - A single, large, well-defined erythematous plaque with peripheral crusting
Figure 5
Figure 5
Erythroplasia of Queyrat - Sharply demarcated shiny, erythematous plaque over glans penis
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) Staining showing full thickness atypia/dysplasia (H and E 10x). (b) Staining showing areas of hyperchromasia, pleomorphism, and atypical mitosis (H and E 40x)
Figure 7
Figure 7
Choice of therapy in Bowen's disease
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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