Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a locally aggressive tumor characterized by basal cell proliferation, superficial spreading, and it is rarely metastatic. It occurs particularly in the head and neck area and is rarely diagnosed in the temporal region. A type of BCC called pigmented BCC is rarely seen in the temporal region. While it is not an aggressive variant of BCC, pigmented lesions and malignant melanoma need to be considered in the differential diagnosis because of the production of pigment. In this article, we describe a 47-year-old female patient who presented with bloody otorrhea and ear itchiness and was diagnosed with pigmented BCC from a biopsy taken from the external auditory canal.
Keywords: basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, pigment