Fractional cryosurgery for skin cancer.
BACKGROUND
Cryosurgical treatment of facial skin cancers 10 mm or larger in diameter can originate retractile scars that may alter physiognomic features.


OBJECTIVE
To treat skin cancers 10 mm or larger in diameter on the face with a cryosurgical method that prevents retractile scars. Also, to clarify the differences between this method and Zacarian's segmental cryosurgery.


METHODS
Fractional cryosurgery is performed in stages. First, the center of the lesion is frozen, reducing its size, then this procedure is repeated as necessary until the tumor diameter is smaller than 10 mm, at which point the standard cryosurgical procedure is performed. Eighty-seven basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and nine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the face (65 of which were orbital or periocular) measuring between 9 and 45 mm were treated.


RESULTS
The cure rate of BCCs was related to tumor size. All SCCs were cured without recurrence. Global mean follow-up was 4.5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Fractional cryosurgery does not cause deformity, and the final scar has no relation to the mass of the original tumor but instead corresponds to the size of the lesion preceding the last cryosurgical procedure.
Gonçalves
Jose Carlos Almeida
JC
Department of Dermatology, District Hospital, Santarém, Portugal. jag@mail.telepac.pt
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*