Development of basal cell epithelioma as a consequence of radiodermatitis

SHORTLY after Roentgen discovered the rays which bear his name there appeared reports in the medical literature regarding the development of carcinoma as a consequence of radiodermatitis. With rare exceptions these reports have brought out a thought which has become almost accepted as a fact, namely, that such carcinomas are always prickle cell in type. It is the purpose of this paper to show that such carcinomas are not invariably of the prickle cell variety. In doing this we will summarize a few reports from the literature and report a number of cases in which the ensuing carcinomas were basal cell in character. HISTORICAL DATA Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered "X rays" in November 1895 and announced his findings through the Physical-Medical Society of Wurzburg in December of that year. Almost immediately there were reports of erythema, dermatitis and deep ulceration from the use of these rays. In 1896 Marcuse 1 reported