Inserting ex vivo Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy Perioperatively in Mohs Micrographic Surgery Expedites Bedside Assessment of Excision Margins in Recurrent Basal Cell Carcinoma

• Published in: Dermatology (Basel) Vol. 227; no. 1; pp. 89 - 92
• Main Authors: Longo, Caterina, Ragazzi, Moira, Castagnetti, Fabio, Gardini, Stefano, Palmieri, Tamara, Lallas, Aimilios, Moscarella, Elvira, Piana, Simonetta, Pellacani, Giovanni, Zalaudek, Iris, Argenziano, Giuseppe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Basal Cell - pathology; Carcinoma, Basal Cell - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Basal Cell - surgery; Case Report; Fluorescence; Humans; Male; Microscopy; Microscopy, Confocal; Mohs Surgery - methods; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - radiotherapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - surgery; Neoplasm, Residual; Point-of-Care Systems; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; Skin cancer; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Skin Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Skin Neoplasms - surgery; Surgical outcomes; Surgical techniques; Confocal microscope; Basal cell carcinoma
• ISSN: 1018-8665; 1421-9832
• DOI: 10.1159/000353577

Mohs micrographic surgery can be employed in recurrent basal cell carcinoma, although it is a time-consuming technique. Recently, ex vivo fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) has been employed to obtain a fast assessment of tumor margins at the bedside. In our case we successfully employed ex vivo FCM to assess the tumor margins and we treated the persistent tumor with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Our case demonstrates that a multidisciplinary approach is very efficient in managing complex and recurrent tumors and highlights the benefits of FCM as a new technique that can be used in the surgical theater to speed up the entire procedure.