Excision of periocular basal cell carcinoma with stereoscopic microdissection of surgical margins for frozen-section control: report of 200 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To report our experience with 200 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in 192 patients treated with an enhanced frozen-section control (FSC) technique using stereoscopic microdissection of surgical margins.


METHODS
Retrospective series of 192 patients with 200 lesions diagnosed as BCC of the periocular region. All were excised en bloc with 1-mm margins beyond the clinically apparent tumor and examined using an enhanced FSC technique with stereoscopic microdissection of the surgical margins.


RESULTS
Of 200 malignant BCCs, 93.0% represented primary tumors. The overall recurrence rate was 1.0%, with a mean follow-up of 4 years. In patients with primary lesions, the overall recurrence rate was 1.1%, with a mean follow-up of 3.9 years. There were no recurrences in the secondary tumor group after a mean follow-up of 4.8 years. Of the 200 lesions, 66.0% lesions required a single en bloc resection to achieve tumor-free margins.


CONCLUSIONS
An enhanced FSC technique using stereoscopic microdissection of the surgical margins permits greater conservation of healthy tissue and yields cure rates comparable to those of the standard FSC technique and Mohs micrographic surgery. We believe that this enhanced FSC technique is a highly effective method for resection of periocular BCC.
Levin
Flora
F
Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Khalil
Monica
M
McCormick
Steven A
SA
Della Rocca
David
D
Maher
Elizabeth
E
Della Rocca
Robert C
RC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005142:Eyelid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005629:Frozen Sections / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*