Metastasis of basal cell carcinoma to lymph nodes in a patient with Gorlin syndrome – case report and literature review

Basal cell carcinoma of the skin is the most common malignant cancer worldwide. It is characterized by a low grade of malignancy and it gives very rare metastases to lymph nodes or internal organs. It is also a typical symptom of Gorlin syndrome, which is characterized by multiple basal cell carcinomas, calcifications in the central nervous system and palmar or plantar pits. Mutations in the PTCH gene are responsible for the development of this syndrome, and its inheritance is autosomal dominant. The estimated frequency of Gorlin syndrome is 1/57 000 – 256 000. The authors present a case of a 34-year-old man with Gorlin syndrome and metastasis of basal cell carcinoma of the face to the submandibular lymph node.