Dermoscopy for establishing the minimal surgical margins in basal cells carcinoma resection

Abstract

Introduction:  the basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and the surgical procedure is the election for its treatment. It appears more frequently in visible or photo exposed areas, therefore, occasionally its resection is insufficient with the aim of preserving tissues, or because if it reaches the established margins it could generate scar sequels. Dermoscopy is an easily applicable technique allowing the previous visualization of the real limits of the tumor for obtaining surgical, non-compromised margins of less size that avoid subsequent esthetic deformities.
Objectives: to determine the usefulness of dermoscopy for obtaining minimal surgical margins, free of basal cell carcinomas in the face and neck, with following histologic verification.
Materials and Methods: observational, descriptive study carried out in the Hospital “Comandante Faustino Pérez Hernandez” of Matanzas,  in 21 patients with clinical and dermoscopic of basal cell carcinoma. Through dermoscopy the minimal surgical margin was established and after that, it was checked histologically if the incision borders were compromised or not.
Results: 95.5 % of the histopathological reports showed that the lesions were correctly resected.
Conclusions: the dermoscopical establishment of a minimal surgical margin before the excision, is a reliable method for getting good resected lesions; that way, the deforming sequels caused by the scars of large incisions in lesions of the face and neck are reduced.