Repair Scar

 A case of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) developing in the repair scar of a cleft lip is presented. OBJECTIVE: Primary BCCs arising in surgical scars are very rare and no known reported cases exist of a BCC developing in a surgically repairedcleft lip scar. METHODS: A 69-year-old white man presented with a 5 mm primary BCC on his upper lip at the site of his cleft lip repair scar. The diagnosis was made by a tangential biopsy that showed an ulcerated BCC. RESULTS: Review of the medicalliterature indicates that a scar may be an independent risk factor for developing BCC. CONCLUSION: BCC may rarely arise in a cleft lip repair scar.