Aims: The goal of this work was to assess the validity of Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in a routine clinical setting.
Material and methods: Our adaptation of the technique described by Mohs and coll allows intraoperative histological examination of all surgical edges of the resection. Sixteen men and 4 women were selected.
Results: Average operative time was 2 hours 30 minutes. No false results were noted. The cosmetetic and functional outcomes were good.
Conclusion: MMS is a safe and reproducible surgical technique made possible by solid team work. It is adapted for the treatment of BCC with a high risk of recurrence. The cosmetetic and functional results are quite satisfactory. The recurrence rate at 5 years is 10 times less than with other methods of treatment. The additional time required for this surgery be put in balance with the number of tumors for which a second intervention would have been necessary if conventional surgery had been used. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia, and none or the patients required a second intervention.