PREMALIGNANT FIBROEPITHELIAL TUMOR OF PINKUS

Course overview

IN 1953, DR. HERMAN PINKUS FIRST DESCRIBED THE FIBROEPITHELIAL TUMOR OF PINKUS (FEP) AS A PRE-MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL TUMOR. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISPUTE OVER THE CLASSIFICATION OF FEP, ITS HISTOLOGIC APPEARANCE IS UNIQUE AND DISTINGUISHES IT FROM OTHER FIBROEPITHELIAL TUMORS. SEVERAL IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS CAN BE MADE BETWEEN FEP AND BASAL CELL CARCINOMA (BCC.) MOST NOTABLE IS THE PRESENCE OF MERKEL CELLS IN FEP AND THE ABSENCE OF THOSE CELLS IN BCC. FEP ALSO OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY IN FEMALES AND HAS NO ASSOCIATION WITH SUN EXPOSURE. IT TYPICALLY OCCURS ON THE LOWER TRUNK; WHEREAS, BCC IS MORE COMMON IN SUN-EXPOSED AREAS OF THE BODY. FROM A PROGNOSTIC STANDPOINT, FEP DOES NOT HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE COURSE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO INVADE OR METASTASIZE. BASAL CELL CARCINOMA, ON THE OTHER HAND, CAN INVADE AND METASTASIZE IF LEFT UNTREATED. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF PREMALIGNANT FIBROEPITHELIAL TUMORS AND IDENTIFIES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THIS CONDITION.