We appreciate the courteous response made by Drs White and Abernethy regarding this controversial concept of ''basaloid follicular hamartoma.'' They are correct in questioning histologic distinctions between tumors of follicular differentiation. In a highly debatable area, we will make an attempt to explain how we stand regarding the concept of basaloid follicular hamartoma. It is clear by now that there is quite a controversy regarding the use of the term basaloid follicular hamartoma.1-5 Our contention is, and has been, that basaloid follicular hamartoma is a histologic pattern that can be found in a wide range of clinical nevoid lesions. The histologic differential diagnosis includes basal cell nevus, trichoepitheliomas, trichofolliculomas, congenital vellus hamartomas, hamartomas of the nevus sebaceous complex, trichoblastic fibromas, fibrofolliculomas, fibroepitheliomas of Pinkus, basal cell carcinomas, infundibulocystic basal cell carcinomas, and virtually any tumor with follicular differentiation.
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