Basal cell naevus syndrome: immune status, etretinate therapy and etretinate hepatitis.

This article discusses basal cell naevus syndrome. Three patients with basal cell nevus syndrome and multiple basal cell carcinomas were treated with oral etretinate. The immune response was investigated by assessing the reaction to the primary test immunogen Helix pomatia haemocyanin, lymphocyte stimulation tests with recall antigens and mitogens, PHA-induced lymphocyte cytotoxicity and the semi-quantitative DNCB-test. Two patients were treated for 7 months, one patient for 4 months. The number of lesions suspected to be basal cell carcinomas smaller than approximately 10 mm in diameter decreased in all three patients.