Dermatology · UKMLA & AKT
Bowen's disease
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test. Below are the key points to recognise bowen's disease — the full SA Note notes add investigations, management, complications and 10 practice questions.
Key high-yield points
- Bowen's disease = squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ - full-thickness epidermal keratinocyte dysplasia with an intact basement membrane (no invasion, no metastatic potential)
- More common in women; peak incidence 6th-7th decade; lower leg is most frequent site
- Causes: chronic UV exposure (dominant), high-risk HPV (16, 18) in anogenital disease, arsenic exposure (multiple lesions on non-sun-exposed sites), chronic immunosuppression (organ transplant recipients)
Bowen's disease has NO association with internal malignancy - this is a refuted historical myth. Elevated risk of future skin cancers reflects shared UV aetiology only.
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