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

Abstract

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.