BACKGROUND: Bowen's disease, also known as squamous intraepidermal carcinoma, is a pre-malignant skin tumor with a potential to progress to an invasive carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and histopathological characteristics of Bowen's disease. METHODS: A total of 45 patients with Bowen's disease were enrolled in this study. The hospital charts and histopathological slides from 1994 to 2005 were reviewed retrospectively at Seoul Veterans Hospital. RESULTS: There were thirty-seven cases (82%) of single lesions and eight cases (18%) of multiple lesions. Thirty cases (81%) of solitary Bowen's disease were located in non sun-exposed areas. These included the trunk, extremities and genital area in decreasing order. Seven cases (19%) of solitary Bowen's disease occurred on sun- exposed areas including the face and the dorsum of the hand in decreasing order. Analysis of the clinical character of Bowen's disease was performed and results were as follows: the most common type was patch (20 cases; 44%), plaque (14 cases; 31%) and pigmented lesions (12 cases: 27%). Analysis of the histopathological character of Bowen's disease was performed and results were as follows: the most common type was irregular (18 cases; 46%), psoriasiform (11 cases; 28%) and verrucous, atrophic type in decreasing order. Of 18 cases where surgical removal was performed, there were 2 case (11%) of recurrence. Of 16 cases where cryotherapy treatment was administered, there were 3 cases of recurrence. And of 4 cases where CO2 laser therapy was used, there was 1 case (25%) of recurrence, in 2 cases where multiple or large-sized lesions were observed, clinical recovery processes were monitored after applying isotretinoin and 5-FU combined therapy, as well as surgical removal and cryotherapy combined therapy. CONCLUSION: In Bowen's disease among Koreans, there were many distinctive clinical and histopathological features compared to those of non-Korean cases.
Bowen's Disease* ; Cryotherapy ; Extremities ; Fluorouracil ; Hand ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Isotretinoin ; Lasers, Gas ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Skin