Background: The role that the peritumoral stroma plays in the growth of tumours is currently poorly understood.\r\nIn this manuscript the morphometric characteristics of basal cell carcinoma subtypes and their associated\r\nperitumoral stromas are presented.\r\nMethods: Ninety eight digitized basal cell carcinoma histology slides were categorized as infiltrative, nodular, or\r\nsuperficial subtypes, and were analysed using a combination of manual and computer-assisted approaches. The\r\nmorphometric characteristics of the tumour nests and their associated peritumoral stroma were quantified, and the\r\npresence of a marked immune reaction or elastosis was noted.\r\nResults: The tumour to stroma ratio was different among each tumour subtype. Elastosis was identified in a\r\ngreater proportion of the infiltrative tumours.\r\nConclusions: Quantitative differences exist between the peritumoral stroma of basal cell carcinoma subtypes.\r\nFuture work exploring the relation between these morphometric differences and biochemical variations in\r\nperitumoral stroma may further our understanding of the biology of carcinoma development.
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