Acta Médica del Centro (Oct 2013)
Bowen’s disease
Abstract
Bowen's disease is a squamous cell carcinoma (in situ) in which there are dysplastic changes throughout the thickness of the affected epidermis. It generally affects light skinned people over 60 years of age. Clinically, it is characterized by papules and solitary or multiple plaques, that are erythematous-scaly and with slow centrifugal growth. The differential diagnosis must be established with chronic dermatoses, psoriasis, chronic eczema, superficial basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous Paget's disease. Only 5% of cases progress to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The treatment of choice for Bowen's disease is surgery; other alternatives are topical chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod, cryosurgery and, more recently, photodynamic therapy.
