Abstract
Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) can be used to treat a wide variety of tumors. General indications for Mohs micrographic surgery require that the cutaneous tumor be continuously growing. Additionally, MMS is considered particularly well suited for tumors that exhibit perineural invasion, tumors in high-risk anatomical areas, tumors that have been incompletely excised, and those with poorly defined clinical margins.
The indications for MMS for each tumor type can be divided into common and uncommon entities. The most common indications for MMS include Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Less common indications for MMS are not supported by as much evidence, but include: Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans (DFSP), Microcystic Adnexal Carcinoma (MAC), Atypical Fibroxanthoma (AFX), Superficial Leiomyosarcoma, Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma (MFH), Sebaceous Carcinoma (SC), Melanoma, Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), and Extramammary Paget’s Disease (EMPD). The evidence behind using Mohs micrographic surgery will be discussed for each entity as well as the relevant results from studies used to measure recurrence rates when using Mohs micrographic surgery for these tumors.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Shriner DL, McCoy DK, Goldberg DJ, Wagner Jr RF. Mohs micrographic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;39(1):79–97.
Steinman HK. Indications for Mohs surgery. In: Gross KG, Steinman HK, Rapini RP, editors. Mohs surgery fundamentals and techniques. St. Louis: Mosby Inc.; 1999. p. 9–14.
Martinez JC, Otley CC. The management of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer: a review for the primary care physician. Mayo Clin Proc. 2001;76:1253–65.
Nouri K, Rivas MP. A primer of Mohs micrographic surgery: common indications. Skinmed. 2004;3(4):191–6.
Nouri K. What you need to know about Mohs micrographic surgery. Skin Aging. 2000;8:68–70.
Drake LA, Dinehart SM, Goltz RW, et al. Guidelines of care for Mohs micrographic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995;33(2):271–8.
Tulli A. Mohs micrographic surgery. In: Chu T, Chu AC, Edelson RL, editors. Malignant tumors of the skin. London: Arnold; 1999. p. 381–95.
Rowe DE, Carroll RJ, Day CL. Long-term recurrence rates in previously untreated (primary) basal cell carcinoma: implications for patient follow-up. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1989;15:315–28.
Rowe DE, Carroll RJ, Day CL. Mohs surgery is the treatment of choice for recurrent (previously treated) basal cell carcinoma. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1989;15:424–31.
Rowe DE, Carroll RJ, Day CL. Prognostic factors for local recurrence, metastasis, and survival rates in squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, ear, and lip. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992;26:976–90.
Hansen JP, Drake AL, Walling HW. Bowen’s disease: a four-year retrospective review of epidemiology and treatment at a university center. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34(7):878–83.
Leibovitch I, Huilgol SC, Selva D, Richards S, Paver R. Cutaneous squamous carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease): treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005;52(6):997–1002.
Ratner D, Thomas CO, Johnson TM, et al. Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Results of a multiinstitutional series with an analysis of the extent of microscopic spread. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;37(4):600–13.
Parker TL, Zitelli JA. Surgical margins for excision of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995;32(2 Pt 1):233–6.
Snow SN, Gordon EM, Larson PO, Bagheri MM, Bentz ML, Sable DB. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a report on 29 patients treated by Mohs micrographic surgery with long-term follow-up and review of the litertaure. Cancer. 2004;101(1):28–38.
Tom WD, Hybarger CP, Rasgon BM. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the head and neck: treatment with Mohs surgery using inverted horizontal paraffin sections. Laryngoscope. 2003;113:1289–93.
Dawes KW, Hanke CW. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans treated with Mohs micrographic surgery: cure rates and surgical marings. Dermatol Surg. 1996;22:530–43.
Huether MJ, Zitelli JA, Brodland DG. Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of spindle cell tumors of the skin. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2001;44:656–9.
Ah-Weng A, Marsden JR, Sanders DS, Waters R. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans treated by micrographic surgery. Br J Cancer. 2002;87(12):1386–9.
Wacker J, Khan-Durani B, Hartschuh W. Modified Mohs micrographic surgery in the therapy of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: analysis of 22 patients. Ann Surg Oncol. 2004;11:438–44.
Jimenez FJ, Grichnik JM, Buchanan MD, Clark RE. Immunohistochemical margin control applied to Mohs micrographic surgical excision of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1994;20(10):687–9.
Gloster Jr HM, Harris KR, Roenigk RK. A comparison between Mohs micrographic surgery and wide surgical excision for the treatment of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1996;35:82–7.
DuBay D, Cimmino V, Lowe L, Johnson TM, Sondak VK. Low recurrence rate after surgery for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a multidisciplinary approach from a single institution. Cancer. 2004;100(5):1008–16.
Meguerditchian A, Wang J, Lema B, Kraybill WG, Zeitouni NC, Kane JM. Wide excision or Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of primary dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Am J Clin Oncol. 2010;33(2):300–3.
Salerno S, Terril P. Will MAC be back? ANZ J Surg. 2003;73:830–2.
Snow S, Madjar Jr DD, Hardy S, et al. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: report of 13 cases and review of the literature. Dermatol Surg. 2001;27(4):401–8.
Leibovitch I, Huilgol SC, Selva D, Lun K, Richards S, Paver R. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005;52(2):295–300.
Bier-Lanning CM, Hom DB, Gapany M, Manivel JC, Duvall 3rd AJ. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: management options based on long-term follow-up. Laryngoscope. 1995;105(11):1197–201.
Carroll P, Goldstein GD, Brown CW. Metastatic microcystic adnexal carcinoma in an immunocompromised patient. Dermatol Surg. 2000;26(6):531–4.
Cooper PH, MIlls SE, Leonard DD, SantaCruz DJ, Headington JT, Barr RJ. Sclerosing sweat duct (syringomatous) carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 1985;9(6):422–33.
Cooper PH. Sclerosing carcinomas of sweat ducts (microcystic adnexal carcinoma). Arch Dermatol. 1986;122:261–4.
Sebastien TS, Nelson BR, Lowe L, Baker S, Johnson TM. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1993;29:840–5.
Burns MK, Chen SP, Goldberg LH. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma. Ten cases treated by Mohs micrographic surgery. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1994;20:429–34.
Friedman PM, Friedman RH, Jiang SB, Nouri K, Amonette R, Robins P. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: collaborative series review and update. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41(2 Pt 1):225–31.
Chiller K, Passaro D, Scheuller M, Singer M, McCalmont T, Grekin RC. Microcystic adnexal carcinoma: forty-eight cases, their treatment and their outcome. Arch Dermatol. 2000;136:1355–9.
Abbate M, Zeitouni N, Seyler M, Hicks W, Loree T, Cheney RT. Clinical course, risk factors and treatment of microcystic adnexal carcinoma: a short series report. Dermatol Surg. 2003;29:1035–8.
Ang GC, Roenigk RK, Otley CC, Phillips PK, Weaver AL. More than 2 decades of treating atypical fibroxanthoma at Mayo Clinic: what have we learned from 91 patients? Dermatol Surg. 2009;35(5):765–72.
Huether MJ, Zitelli JA, Broadland DG. Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of spindle cell tumors of the skin. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2001;44:656–9.
Davis JL, Randle HW, Zalla MJ, Roenigk RK, Brodland DG. A comparison of Mohs micrographic surgery and wide excision for the treatment of atypical fibroxanthoma. Dermatol Surg. 1997;23(2):105–10.
Nouri K, Rivas MP. A primer of Mohs micrographic surgery: uncommon indications. Skinmed. 2004;3(5):259–65.
Fields JP, Helwig EB. Leiomyosarcoma of the skin and subcutanous tissue. Cancer. 1981;47:156–69.
Humphreys TR, Finkelstein DH, Lee JB. Superficial leiomyosarcoma treated with Mohs micrographic surgery. Dermatol Surg. 2004;30:108–12.
Marcet S. Atypical fibroxanthoma/malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Dermatol Ther. 2008;21(6):424–7.
Weiss SW, Goldblum JR. Enzinger and Weiss’s soft tissue tumors. Philadelphia: Mosby/Elsevier; 2008.
Helwig EB, May D. Atypical fibroxanthoma of the skin with metastasis. Cancer. 1986;57:368–76.
Rao NA, Hidayat AA, McLean IW, Zimmerman LE. Sebaceous carcinomas of the ocular adnexa: a clinicopathologic study of 104 cases, with five-year follow-up data. Hum Pathol. 1982;13(2):113–22.
Berlin AL, Amin SP, Goldberg DJ. Extraocular sebaceous carcinoma treated with Mohs micrographic surgery: report of a case and review of literature. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34:254–7.
Wick MR, Goellner JR, WolfeIII JT, Su WP. Adnexal carcinomas of the skin. II. Extraocular sebaceous carcinomas. Cancer. 1985;56(5):1163–72.
Moreno C, Jacyk WK, Judd MJ, Requena L. Highly aggressive extraocular sebaceous carcinoma. Am J Dermatopathol. 2001;23(5):450–5.
Duman DG, Ceyhan BB, Celikel T, Duman RAD. Extraorbital sebaceous carcinoma with rapidly developing visceral metastases. Dermatol Surg. 2003;29(9):987–9.
Bassetto F, Baraziol R, Sottosanti MV, Scarpa C, Montesco M. Biological behavior of the sebaceous carcinoma of the head. Dermatol Surg. 2004;30(3):472–6.
Bouraoui S, Kaddar RK, Mokni M, Badri T, Azaiez MY, Dhahri AB. Extrapalpebral sebaceous carcinoma. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 2006;133(2):165–7.
Ni C, Searl S, Kuo PK, Chu FR, Chong CS, Albert DM. Sebaceous cell carcinomas of the ocular adnexa. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 1982;22(1):23–61.
Hassanein AM. Sebaceous carcinoma and the T-antigen. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2004;23(1):62–72.
Doxanas MT, Green WR. Sebaceous gland carcinoma. Arch Ophthalmol. 1984;102:245–9.
Botek AA, Goldberg SH. Sebaceous gland carcinoma. In: Miller SJ, Maloney ME, editors. Cutaneous oncology. Malden: Blackwell Science Inc; 1998. p. 800–10.
Boniuk M, Zimmerman LE. Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid, eyebrow, caruncle, and orbit. Trans Am Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngol. 1968;27:619–42.
Spencer JM, Nossa R, Tse DT, Sequeira M. Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid treated with Mohs micrographic surgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2001;44:1004–9.
Zitelli JA, Brown C, Hanusa BH. Mohs micrographic surgery for the treatment of primary cutaneous melanoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;37:236–45.
Skelton HG, Smith KJ, Hitchcock CL, McCarthy WF, Lupton GP, Graham JH. Merkel cell carcinoma: analysis of clinical, histologic, and immunologic features of 132 cases with relation to survival. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;37(5 Pt 1):734–9.
O’Connor WJ, Broadland DG. Merkel cell carcinoma. Dermatol Surg. 1996;22(3):262–7.
Mercer D, Brander P, Liddell K. Merkel cell carcinoma: the clinical course. Ann Plast Surg. 1990;25:136–41.
O’Connor WJ, Roenigk RK, Broadland DG. Comparison of Mohs micrographic surgery and wide excision in eighty-six patients. Dermatol Surg. 1997;23(10):929–33.
Lee KY, Roh MR, Chung WG, Chung KY. Comparison of Mohs micrographis surgery and wide excision for extramammary Paget’s disease: Korean experience. Dermatol Surg. 2008;35:34–40.
O’Conner WJ, Lim KK, Zalla MJ, et al. Comparison of Mohs micrographic surgery and wide excision for extramammary Paget’s disease. Dermatol Surg. 2003;29:723–7.
Murata Y, Kumano K. Multicentricity of extramamary Paget’s disease. Eur J Dermatol. 2007;17(2):164–5.
Gunn RA, Gallager HS. Vulvar Paget’s disease: a topographic study. Cancer. 1980;46:590–4.
Hendi A, Perdikis G, Snow JL. Unifocality of extramammary Paget disease. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;59:811–3.
Coldiron BM, Goldsmith BA, Robinson JK. Surgical treatment of extramammary Paget’s disease: a report of six cases and a reexamination of Mohs micrographic surgery compared with conventional surgical excision. Cancer. 1991;67:933–8.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
McLeod, M.P., Choudhary, S., Alqubaisy, Y.A., Nouri, K. (2012). Indications for Mohs Micrographic Surgery. In: Nouri, K. (eds) Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2152-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2152-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2151-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2152-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)