Definition
Bowen’s disease (synonym: Erythroplasia de Queryat, Dermatosis preacancerosa Bowen, Dyskeratosis maligna, Bowen’s skin cancer) is a precancerosis of the skin. A precancerosis is a precancerous stage of cancer that is not yet invasive. This means that the degenerated cells do not yet grow deep into the tissue and therefore cannot yet spread and form metastases.
Bowen’s disease is by definition an intraepidermal carcinoma in situ. The term “intraepidermal” means that the altered cells of the precancerous stage are located in the uppermost skin layers (epidermis). The term “carcinoma in situ” refers to precancerous lesions whose penetration depth is so small that the so-called basement membrane of the tissue has not yet been breached. If this basement membrane is ruptured, it is an invasive cancer. Bowen’s disease can be found all over the skin, but it is particularly common on the trunk, face, lower legs and fingers.
Associated symptoms
Bowen’s disease primarily causes symptoms on the skin: it is very similar to psoriasis or eczema, but since it does not respond to cortisone ointments or other medications, suspicion quickly falls on Bowen’s disease. Approximately 2/3 of patients have such a focus, 1/3 have several foci on the skin. In principle, the changes can be found on the entire skin, but they are most frequently located on the trunk, lower legs, fingers or face.
A special form of Bowen’s disease is erythroplasia de Queryat, which is the same precancerous stage of the disease in terms of fine tissue. However, it is located on mucous membranes and thus mainly affects the glans of the penis, the vulva or the oral mucosa. There, too, changes in the surface of the mucous membranes are found that do not react to therapies with ointments or other drugs and therefore have to be examined more closely by taking a sample.
- Eczema-like skin change
- Irregularly shaped
- Sharply limited
- Red, scaly
Bowen’s disease can also develop in the oral mucosa. There, however, it is called erythroplasia de queryat. It is, despite different names, the same type of precancerous stage.
Erythrplasia de Queryat of the oral mucosa leads to scaly, whitish changes that bleed easily and are prone to injuries. Just the intake of food or touching the tongue can injure the changes and be unpleasant. In contrast to other inflammations, these changes in the oral mucosa do not react to soothing mouthwashes, ointments or other medications. They are also called therapy-refractory. An experienced specialist then suspects erythroplasia de Queryat.
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