Amyloid in basal cell carcinoma and seborrheic keratosis.

The frequency of amyloid substance was studied in two different types of skin tumours: basal cell carcinoma and seborrheic keratosis. In 9 out of 49 cases of seborrheic keratosis amyloid substance was found. In the basal cell carcinomas, 194 out of 260 cases showed amyloid deposits, a rate that is higher than that previously reported. The basal cell carcinoma material was further studied regarding the amount of amyloid, mitotic rate, degree of apoptosis and the age of the patients. There was no correlation between the amount of amyloid and the mitotic rate, or the degree of apoptosis. There was a slightly higher incidence of amyloid-positive cases among elderly patients.