A clinicopathologico-epidemiological study of non-Melanoma malignant skin tumors of the scalp

The Gulf Journal of Dermatology and Venereology INTRODUCTION The scalp is a specialized anatomic region, in which the highest density of pilosebaceous follicles is present and terminal hairs are concentrated.1-2 Malignant scalp tumors, when asymptomatic or small in size, may be covered by hairs and neglected by the patient, leading to a potential risk of delay in detection and resulting in a grave outcome.3-4 Malignant tumors occurring in the scalp are not common.5 Approximately 2% of all skin tumors occur on the scalp.6 Overall, squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are more common than basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in this anatomic region.7 Furthermore, only few English-language articles regarding the epidemiology and histology of scalp malignancies could be found in the literature.8-9