Basal cell carcinomas of the ear are more aggressive than on other head and neck locations.

BACKGROUND: On pathology review, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) on the ear more commonly present as aggressive subtypes. It is unclear if this histologic observation translates into more clinically aggressive tumors.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the clinical aggressiveness of ear BCCs compared with BCCs elsewhere on the head and neck.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all BCCs treated at an academic center from 2005 through 2012. Subjects were divided into ear and non-ear groups. Subtypes classified as "aggressive" included morpheaform, infiltrative, micronodular, adenoid, metatypical, and mixed histology.

RESULTS: Of the 7732 head and neck BCCs, 758 (9.8%) were on the ear. Ear BCCs presented as larger lesions (1.28 vs 0.98 cm(2)), required more Mohs layers (16.5% vs 10.7%), and produced a larger final defect (4.29 vs 3.49 cm(2)) than non-ear lesions. When comparing only aggressive subtypes, ear BCCs also presented as larger lesions (1.42 vs 1.23 cm(2)), more frequently required 3 or more layers for clearance (22.3% vs 14.2%), and produced a larger final defect (4.92 vs 4.21 cm(2)) than non-ear lesions.

LIMITATIONS: Limitations include single-center design and lack of long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Ear BCCs appear to exhibit greater subclinical extension compared with non-ear head and neck BCCs. Therefore, the ear should be considered a high-risk location for BCCs.