Fibroepithelioma of Pinkus Revisited

BACKGROUND: Fibroepithelioma of Pinkus (FeP) is considered a variant of basal cell carcinoma (BCC); however, in the past 20 years, some researchers have argued for its classification as a trichoblastoma. Recently, use of a new immunostaining marker and further dermoscopic characterization of FeP have advanced the debate about its proper classification. PURPOSE: A review of the evidence for and against classification of FeP as BCC or trichoblastoma is presented. METHODS: Using PubMed, the term FeP was searched and relevant citations were assessed. Additional relevant articles were identified from references of key papers. RESULTS: FeP shares characteristics of both trichoblastoma and BCC. CONCLUSION: Derived from the same cell type, BCC and trichoblastoma may be best considered as representing opposite ends of a spectrum of differentiation, with FeP deserving an intermediate classification.