Facial basal cell carcinoma in a young adult: Beyond the sun

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant skin tumor, representing nearly 75% of nonmelanoma skin cancers. It usually occurs after age 50 and predominantly affects the face. Facial BCC in young adults is rare and warrants reporting. We present a 36-year-old woman (Fitzpatrick type II) with a persistent lesion located on the right supralabial region, unresponsive to antiviral therapy. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were unremarkable. Biopsy revealed ulcerated infiltrative BCC. Surgical excision with reconstruction was performed successfully. Genetic analysis revealed that both of her children had oculocutaneous albinism type 1, indicating that the patient is a heterozygous carrier of a pathogenic TYR (tyrosinase) gene variant confirmed by genetic testing. This case underscores the need to consider BCC in young adults, particularly in the context of genetic predisposition, and highlights the importance of early biopsy for persistent lesions.