Sikder M S, Rahman M H, Maidul AZM, Khan MSU, Rahman M M.
Study on the histopathology of chronic Arsenicosis.
J Pak Assoc Derma Jan ;14(4):205-9.

Background: Arsenicosis is epidemic in Bangladesh. The associated cutaneous changes have high malignant potential. Objectives: To assess the spectrum of histopathological changes in arsenical keratoses. Patients and methods: A total of 70 arsenicosis patients (arsenic exposure group) and 20 clinically healthy patients (control group) who showed typical features of cutaneous manifestations were selected in this study. Skin biopsies from randomly selected patients were taken for undertaking histopathological studies. Results: In the arsenicosis group and control group different istoloicl cnes were hypekeratois (100% vs. 20%) [p<0.001], parakeratosis (97% vs. 10%) [p<0.001], acanthosis (95.7% vs. 1%) [p<0.001], papillomatosis (74% vs. 0%) [p<0.001], basal pigmentation (42% vs. 4%), and dysplsia and malinant canes (5% vs. 0%), respectively. were seen in, 97%, 95.7%, 74%, 42% and 5% of cases, respectively. Conclusion: In Bangladesh, long term arsenic exposure could increase the risk of certain kinds of cancers, some of them still unknown. It is therefore stressed that basic researches in histopathology of arsenic keratosis is patients particularly important in making the diagnosis.

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