title: The importance of superficial basal cell carcinoma in a retrospective study of 139 patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery in a Brazilian university hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mohs micrographic surgery is a specialized surgical procedure used to treat skin cancer. The purpose of this study was to better understand the profile of the patients who underwent the procedure and to determine how histology might be related to complications and the number of stages required for complete removal.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery from October 2008 to November 2013 at the Dermatology Division of the Hospital of the Campinas University were assessed. The variables included were gender, age, anatomical location, histology, number of stages required and complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contingency tables were used to compare the number of stages with the histological diagnosis. The analysis showed that patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma were 9.03 times more likely to require more than one stage. A comparison between complications and histological diagnosis showed that patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma were 6.5 times more likely to experience complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although superficial basal cell carcinoma is typically thought to represent a less-aggressive variant of these tumors, its propensity for demonstrating "skip areas" and clinically indistinct borders make it a challenge to treat. Its particular nature may result in the higher number of surgery stages required, which may, as a consequence, result in more complications, including recurrence. Recurrence likely occurs due to the inadequate excision of the tumors despite their clear margins. Further research on this subtype of basal cell carcinoma is needed to optimize treatments and decrease morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Clínica Médica, Divisão Dermatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Takata Pontes
authors.affiliation: Patologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fantelli Stelini
authors.affiliation: Patologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Leticia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cintra
authors.affiliation: Clínica Médica, Divisão Dermatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Clínica Médica, Divisão Dermatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Eduardo N F
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Velho
authors.affiliation: Clínica Médica, Divisão Dermatologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aparecida Machado
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moraes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000209:etiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*