It's time for Mohs: Micrographic surgery for the treatment of high‐risk basal cell carcinomas of the head and neck regions

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common variety of non‐melanoma skin cancer and its incidence is increasing worldwide. The centrofacial sites (area H) are considered a high‐risk factor for BCC local recurrence. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a technique that allows intraoperative microscopic control of the surgical margins and is a good treatment option when tissue conservation is required for esthetic or functional reasons or for high‐risk lesions. The present study aimed to evaluate the recurrence rate of head and neck high‐risk BCCs comparing MMS vs conventional surgical excision. Clinical data of patients diagnosed from September 2014 to March 2017, referring to the Dermatology Unit of the Policlinico Sant'Orsola‐Malpighi, University of Bologna, were retrospectively evaluated (285 treated with MMS and 378 treated with traditional surgery). Of the 285 patients treated with MMS, 9 experienced a recurrence (3.1%). Of the 378 patients treated with traditional surgery, 53 relapsed (14%), 13 of whom presented residual tumor on the deep or lateral margins of the main surgical specimen. Our study confirms the trend reported in the literature that MMS represents the best treatment option for high‐risk BCCs arising in the head and neck region or presenting as a recurrence (P < .00001). Many more MMS centers and more trained dermatologists are needed worldwide in order to deal with the increasing number of BCC diagnosed every year.     

Cutaneous lip tumours treated with Mohs micrographic surgery: clinical features and surgical outcome

BACKGROUND: The Australian Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) database was initiated in 1993 by the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia (SCFA) with the aim of collecting prospective data, and involved all Mohs surgeons in the country. OBJECTIVES: To present a large series of patients with cutaneous lip tumours treated with MMS in Australia between 1993 and 2002. METHODS: This prospective multicentre case series included all patients with cutaneous lip tumours who were monitored by the SCFA. The main outcome measures were patient demographics, reason for referral, duration of tumour, site, preoperative tumour size and postoperative defect size, recurrences prior to MMS, histological subtypes, perineural invasion and 5-year recurrence after MMS. RESULTS: There were 581 patients (66.1% women and 33.9% men, P < 0.0001) with a mean +/- SD age of 58 +/- 15 years. The upper lip was the most common site involved (81.1%). Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was diagnosed in 82.3%, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 16.5%, Bowen's disease (BD) in 0.7% and microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) in 0.5% of cases. BCC was more common on the upper lip and in women, whereas SCC was more common on the lower lip and in men (P < 0.0001). Most upper lip tumours occurred in women (75.4%), whereas most lower lip tumours occurred in men (73.6%). SCC was associated with a larger tumour and postoperative defect size compared with the other tumours. The 5-year recurrence for BCC was 3.0%, and there were no cases of recurrence for SCC, BD or MAC. CONCLUSIONS: BCC was the most common cutaneous lip tumour managed by MMS, and was significantly more common on the upper lip and in women. The low 5-year recurrence rate emphasizes the importance of margin-controlled excision.     

Treatment of basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common tumor in Central Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The increasing incidence of basal cell carcinoma presents the health care system, especially dermatology, with great challenges. In recent years new options for treating basal cell carcinoma have become available, enriching our therapeutic options. We review the current status of each of these treatment approaches.     

Treatment of 208 extensive basal cell carcinomas with Mohs micrographic surgery

Aim With the rapidly increasing number of basal cell carcinomas in Europe, a close look at Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) is timely. Subject We report the results of MMS in the Netherlands, as treatment for extensive basal cell carcinomas. Methods Patients (n= 198) with extensive basal cell carcinoma (n= 208) were treated with MMS. The mean follow up period was 6.4 years. Results Four of 208 BCCs recurred. Conclusions Considering a recurrence rate of only 2% for the treatment of extensive and mainly recurrent basal cell carcinomas, we suggest that MMS provides the best prospect for total tumour removal.     

Perceptions of facial aesthetics in surgical patients with basal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a non-melanoma form of skin cancer that is frequently localized within the cervicofacial area. So far, little research is available on how patients perceive their facial aesthetics after surgical treatment for BCC. OBJECTIVES: To analyse (i) if there was a statistically significant improvement over time with regard to the perceived facial aesthetics of surgical patients; (ii) if there was a significant difference between primary and recurrent BCC patients; and (iii) between patients who had Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) or surgical excision (SE). To assess (iv) which baseline perceptions and/or clinical parameters may predict the evaluation of facial aesthetics at 6 months after surgery. METHODS: Parallel to a clinical trial, a survey was carried out in which patients were asked, by means of a newly developed disease-specific questionnaire, about perceptions with regard to their facial aesthetics before and after surgery. RESULTS: Aesthetic perceptions of all surgical patients improved over time. There was no statistically significant difference on facial aesthetics between the group with a primary or recurrent BCC and patients treated with MMS or SE. Results also showed that the evaluation of postsurgical facial aesthetics can be predicted by both visibility of the tumour and preoperative perceptions. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to administer preoperatively a short questionnaire in which perceptions related to facial aesthetics are included. In doing so, physicians will become more familiar with the aesthetic problems patients might have regarding their afflicted facial site. Ultimately, it may help physicians in deciding whether patients will benefit from additional cosmetic procedures after surgery.     

Mohs显微手术治疗乳房外Paget病42例

目的:评价Mohs治疗乳房外Paget病的疗效。方法:42例乳房外Paget病患者沿皮损周围2 cm行Mohs手术切除,确认边缘结果阴性之后行皮瓣或植皮闭合。术后31例患者使用光动力,每周1次,共4次。11例外用咪喹莫特乳膏,每日1次,共半年,随访8~36个月。结果:6例患者复发,复发率14.3%,其中4例为术后光动力治疗患者,2例为术后外用咪喹莫特乳膏。结论:EMPD进行Mohs显微描记手术结合光动力治疗或外用咪喹莫特乳膏有效。     

Formalin-fixed tissue Mohs surgery (slow Mohs) for basal cell carcinoma: 5-year follow-up data

Background Mohs surgery using a formalin‐fixed tissue technique (slow Mohs) was used to treat 1090 basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) occurring in 1000 patients without Gorlin syndrome in a prospective, open nonrandomized trial of therapy carried out in a university dermatology department. Objectives To record outcomes and 5‐year cure rates in these patients. Results Five multirecurrent BCCs could not be cleared and Mohs surgery was abandoned. In the remaining 1085 BCCs, after debulking, clearance was achieved with a mean of 1·7 stages and 7·7 blocks. Logistic regression analysis showed that large tumour size and position on the nose were the only factors that significantly predicted the risk of tumour excision requiring more than two Mohs stages. Wounds were managed by the Mohs surgeon (n = 917), by an oculoplastic surgeon (n = 117) and by a plastic or other surgeon (n = 56). The mean interval between the first Mohs excision and Mohs clearance, regardless of the closure technique, was 4·2 days (range 0–44) and the mean interval between tumour clearance and defect closure was 1·9 days (range 0–49). Reconstruction of 117 periocular defects by the oculoplastic surgeon was done at a mean of 0·8 days (range 0–6) after Mohs clearance. Reconstruction by the plastic surgeon was done at a mean of 10 days (range 0–49) after Mohs clearance. Five‐year follow up was possible in 750 BCCs. Within this group 21 tumour recurrences were identified, giving a 5‐year cure rate of 97·2% for all patients, 97·8% for primary BCC and 95·3% for recurrent BCC. The mean tumour recurrence time was 2·5 years (range 0·6–4·99) following Mohs excision. There was a higher risk of recurrence for big (four of 78; 5%) and recurrent (nine of 193; 5%) BCCs compared with other indications for Mohs surgery. Conclusions The essential difference between frozen sections and formalin‐fixed sections is the greater use of an automated laboratory system to process the smaller size and greater number of blocks produced using the latter process. An effective Mohs service based on formalin‐fixed sections requires a minimum of three half‐day operating sessions together with a pathology laboratory able to provide results routinely within 24–48 h. A formalin‐fixed tissue Mohs service is useful for certain skin tumours and requires less technician time than a frozen section service but this advantage may not outweigh the inconvenience to the patient.     

A Case of Trichilemmal Carcinoma Treated with Mohs Micrographic Surgery

Trichilemmal carcinoma is a cutaneous adnexal tumor originating from the outer root sheath of hair follicle, and it was first described by Headington in 1976. Clinically, it usually occurs as an asymptomatic solitary papule, nodule or mass on the face or scalp. This neoplasm is a malignant counterpart of trichilemmoma, and it has been reported in the literature as trichilemmal carcinoma, tricholemmal carcinoma, malignant trichilemmoma, and tricholemmocarcinoma. Although histologically, trichilemmal carcinoma frequently has maliganant features, it has a relatively benign clinical behavior. We think Mohs micrographic surgery is a useful treatment modality in trichilemmal carcinoma because the final skin defect is smaller than a wide excision. We report a case of primary trichilemmal carcinoma which had developed on the face, treated with Mohs micrographic surgery.     

MOHS micrographic surgery for head and neck nonmelanoma skin cancer: An approach for ENT surgeons

Surgery is the main approach for skin cancer, with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) allowing the highest cure rates, best esthetics and superior functional outcomes. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons are often challenged with patients presenting skin cancer, needing appropriate expertise to its adequate management. This paper highlights the most important aspects of MMS, enabling ENT surgeons to become familiar with its fundamental aspects. A review of the literature was performed, concomitantly presenting the author's outcomes as an ENT surgeon. A total of 51 MMSs were performed in 41 patients, and 78.4% of the tumors were cutaneous basal cell carcinomas (cBCCs), 19.6% were cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs), and one case was a microcystic adnexal carcinoma. Most tumors were located in high‐risk areas (88.2%), and 84.3% of them were ≥10 mm in diameter. Most tumors (90.2%) required no more than two MMS excision steps to be completely removed. All cases were managed by reconstruction either using flaps or grafts. Recurrence occurred in only 2% of the cases. This study addressed the main issues of MMS, which may be important in ENT surgeons' daily practice.