Basal cell carcinoma: about a historical case

We here report the case of an 80 year old man, with clear phototype, villager, residing in one of the most isolated places in our kingdom, located at an altitude above 2400 metres. During humanitarian aid, he presented with ulcero-necrotic tumor infiltrating the nasal root and the right orbit with total destruction of the right eye. The patient reported that the lesion had progressed for two and a half years from a small bleeding papule on the nasal root with orbital spread. Clinical and histological appearance suggested the diagnosis of infiltrating basal cell carcinoma. Staging showed right naso-orbital bone invasion. Mutilating cancer surgery was indicated but the patient refused it. Basal cell carcinoma is reported to have a relatively good prognosis because of its slow and local evolution. However, some cancer types, such as infiltrative tumor occurring in some high-risk areas, including the naso-orbital region, can be rapidly devastating, mutilating and voluminous with aesthetic and functional impairements as well as difficult to manage.