title: Study of shrinkage of cutaneous surgical specimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of discrepancies between surgical and histopathological measurements of specimens is important in order to avoid repeat surgery and unnecessary follow-ups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to quantify the degree, time and influential factors of shrinkage of cutaneous surgical specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 111 patients were gathered on age, sex, localization, diagnosis and specimen width and length before surgical excision (in vivo), at 5 min postsurgery (ex vivo) and after 24 h of fixation in 10% buffered formalin (postfixation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The length and width were significantly lower in the postfixation vs. in vivo specimens, with a mean shrinkage of 17.0% in the length (p < 0.01) and 9.5% in the width (p < 0.01). 81.8% and 92.3% of the total shrinkage in length and weight was observed between in vivo and ex vivo measurements. No significant differences were observed as a function of sex, age or diagnosis. A greater shrinkage in length between in vivo and postfixation was found in specimens from the trunk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most of the skin samples were diseased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The largest proportion of specimen shrinkage occurred within 5 min of its excision and the shrinkage was greater in specimens from the trunk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Unit of the Virgen de las Nieves Hospital Complex, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blasco-Morente
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garrido-Colmenero
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
authors.forename: Simplicio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carretero-García
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín-Castro
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arias-Santiago
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tercedor-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: formalin; skin shrinkage; skin specimens; skin tumors; surgical margins