Mohs Micrographic Surgery for the Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 75% of all nonmelanoma skin cancer. Although various treatment modalities are available, the most frequently used option is surgical excision. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Material and methods A retrospective review of cases of basal cell carcinoma treated with Mohs micrographic surgery between October 2003 and June 2009 was performed using patient records from Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Results A total of 2412 basal cell carcinomas treated with Mohs micrographic surgery were identified; 50.5% were in women and 49.5% in men. The mean age of the patients was 70.7 years (range, 8–100 years). The histologic type of the tumor was solid in 65.3% of cases and in 89% of cases the tumor was located on the head or neck. Ten percent of the tumors were recurrent following previous treatment. A mean of 1.74 Mohs stages were used, with a mean of 3.81 sections. The mean size of the initial defect was 0.86 cm 2 and the mean final defect was 1.88 cm 2. The ratio of initial tumor size to final defect was estimated at 1.02. Over a mean follow-up of 32 months, there were 9 cases of tumor recurrence (0.37%). Conclusions In our experience, Mohs micrographic surgery is effective for the treatment of high-risk basal cell carcinoma.