Abstract
Interpretation of Mohs slides is the most critical step in MMS. Mohs surgeons should be adept in identifying different cutaneous structures and in detecting different skin neoplasms. Missing a focus of tumor will result in tumor recurrence. Likewise, interpreting slides with missing pieces of tissue may result in tumor recurrence. Technical errors represent the most common cause of local recurrence after MMS. Consequently, Mohs surgeons should verify that 100% of the margin is evaluated including the entire deep margin and all epidermal peripheries. Tumor prognosis could be dependent on the identification of certain changes in the Mohs slides such as angiovascular invasion or perineural invasion. On the other hand, lack of experience in identifying cutaneous structures such as a bulge, a mantle, a folliculocentric basaloid proliferation (funny follicle), or an atypical reactive endothelial cell may result in unnecessary extra stages which would lead to unnecessarily larger defects. This would negate the purpose of MMS in producing the smallest possible defect with clear margins.
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Hassanein, A.M., Hassanein, H.A. (2012). Histopathologic Interpretation of Mohs Slides. In: Nouri, K. (eds) Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2152-7_13
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