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Report of Two Cases Showing Histologic Continuity Between Epidermis and Metastasis

Noel Weidner, MD; Elliott Foucar, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1985;121(8):1041-1043.

Abstract
• Two unusual cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) metastatic to skin from distant sites occurred. In both metastatic sites, the malignant squamous epithelium fused with benign surface epithelium, and the resulting transition simulated that typically seen in primary cutaneous SCCa. We believe that this previously unreported phenomenon is an expression of the natural tendency of squamous epithelium to "heal" denuded connective tissue surfaces by proliferation followed by epithelial fusion. Because epithelial continuity can be established between benign keratinocytes and metastatic SCCa, one cannot rely on this single morphologic finding to separate primary from metastatic disease.

(Arch Dermatol 1985;121:1041-1043)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Pathology (Dr Weidner) and Pathology/Dermatology (Dr Foucar), University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. Dr Weidner is now with the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Aug 7, 1984.

Reprint requests to Department of Pathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, 300 S Hawthorne Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 (Dr Weidner).

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