Part 2: Management of Intraoperative and Perioperative Bleeding.

With an increase in number of patients on antithrombotic therapies, management of bleeding during dermatologic surgery is increasingly important. As described in Part 1, perioperative discontinuation of antithrombotic therapies may increase the risk of embolic events thus the risks and benefits must be weighed carefully when deciding whether to continue or suspend therapy. However, continuing oral anticoagulants may result in increased intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. Here we describe various methods to effectively achieve hemostasis which include: 1) mechanical methods to compress the vasculature 2) pharmacologic agents that induce vasoconstriction 3) physiologic agents that augment clot formation and 4) physical agents that promote platelet aggregation.

Part 1: Management of Antithrombotic Medications in Dermatologic Surgery.

Perioperative management of antithrombotic agents requires practical and medical considerations. Discontinuing antithrombotic therapies increases the risk of thrombotic adverse events including cerebrovascular accidents, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and retinal artery occlusion. Conversely, continuation of antithrombotic therapy during surgical procedures has associated bleeding risks. Currently, no guidelines exist regarding management of antithrombotic agents in the perioperative period for cutaneous surgeries and practice differs by surgeon. Here, we review the data on antithrombotic medications in patients undergoing cutaneous surgery including medication-specific surgical and postoperative bleeding risk if the medications are continued, and thromboembolic risk if the medications are interrupted. Specifically, we focus on vitamin K antagonist (VKA) (warfarin), direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, dabigatran), antiplatelet medications (aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, dipyridamole), unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin and dalteparin), fondaparinux, bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) (ibrutinib, acalabrutinib), and dietary supplements (i.e., garlic, ginger, gingko).

Assessing outcomes of topical 5-fluorouracil as primary and adjuvant therapy for squamous cell carcinoma in-situ.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in-situ (SCCis) is an intraepithelial tumor with a good prognosis. Standard treatment includes both surgical and non-surgical interventions. We determined the clearance rate for SCCis and residual SCCis identified on frozen section during Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) after treatment with topical fluorouracil 5% cream (5-FU). All MMS cases were initiated for biopsy-proven invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). A retrospective chart review was conducted from January 2017-February 2024 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) to identify patients with SCCis who were treated with topical 5-FU as primary therapy or adjuvant therapy (AT) for residual SCCis post-MMS for invasive SCC. 41 patients were included (80% males, 70.1 ± 11.8 years). The average follow-up time for the primary therapy group was 25.4 ± 12.8 months, and for the post-MMS AT group 22.5 ± 11.1 months. In the group treated with topical 5-FU as primary therapy (n = 28), 27 patients (96.43%, 95% confidence interval: 81.65-99.91%) achieved complete clearance. One patient had recurrence at 8 months post-treatment. Of the patients in the post-MMS adjuvant treatment group (n = 13), 12 (92.3% clearance, 95% confidence interval 63.97-99.81%) achieved complete clearance. One patient had recurrence at 8 months post-treatment. This study found that topical 5-FU cream is effective as both primary therapy for SCCis and as adjuvant therapy for residual SCCis following MMS of invasive SCC.

Surgical margins and outcomes for eyelid melanoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

No randomized trials exist to inform the peripheral surgical margins or depth of wide excision for eyelid melanoma. We performed a meta-analysis examining surgical margins and Breslow depth for eyelid melanomas. A systematic review was performed in August 2022 using PubMed, Cochrane, and Medline databases (1/1/1990 to 8/1/2022). Inclusion criteria included studies reporting surgical treatment of primary cutaneous melanomas of the eyelid with reported surgical margins. Ten articles were included. The studies were examined by surgical margin size (group 1: ≤ 0.5 cm; group 2 > 0.5 cm and ≤ 1.5 cm) and Breslow depth (group 1: ≤ 1 mm; group 2: > 1 mm). The odds ratio (OR) for local recurrence was 2.55 [95% CI 0.36-18.12], p = 0.18; regional metastasis was 0.70 [95% CI 0.00-23671.71], p = 0.48; and distant metastasis was 2.47 [95% CI 0.00-1687.43], p = 0.66. When examining by Breslow depth, the OR for local recurrence was 0.53 [95% CI 0.14-1.94], p = 0.34; regional metastasis was 0.14 [0.00-176.12], p = 0.54; and the OR for distant metastasis was 0.24 [95% CI 0.01-8.73], p = 0.46. There was a trend toward higher likelihood of recurrence and metastasis in the ≤ 0.5 cm group. Similarly, there is a trend toward higher likelihood of recurrence and metastasis with Breslow depth > 1 mm. A surgical margin of at least 0.5 cm and achievement of negative margins via permanent sections or MMS are likely needed to prevent adverse outcomes. En face sectioning may be a superior method of histological processing for eyelid melanoma.

Ethical considerations for artificial intelligence in dermatology: a scoping review.

The field of dermatology is experiencing the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), from mobile applications (apps) for skin cancer detection to large language models like ChatGPT that can answer generalist or specialist questions about skin diagnoses. With these new applications, ethical concerns have emerged. In this scoping review, we aimed to identify the applications of AI to the field of dermatology and to understand their ethical implications. We used a multifaceted search approach, searching PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar for primary literature, following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidance. Our advanced query included terms related to dermatology, AI and ethical considerations. Our search yielded 202 papers. After initial screening, 68 studies were included. Thirty-two were related to clinical image analysis and raised ethical concerns for misdiagnosis, data security, privacy violations and replacement of dermatologist jobs. Seventeen discussed limited skin of colour representation in datasets leading to potential misdiagnosis in the general population. Nine articles about teledermatology raised ethical concerns, including the exacerbation of health disparities, lack of standardized regulations, informed consent for AI use and privacy challenges. Seven addressed inaccuracies in the responses of large language models. Seven examined attitudes toward and trust in AI, with most patients requesting supplemental assessment by a physician to ensure reliability and accountability. Benefits of AI integration into clinical practice include increased patient access, improved clinical decision-making, efficiency and many others. However, safeguards must be put in place to ensure the ethical application of AI.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in dermatology is rapidly increasing, with applications in dermatopathology, medical dermatology, cutaneous surgery, microscopy/spectroscopy and the identification of prognostic biomarkers (characteristics that provide information on likely patient health outcomes). However, with the rise of AI in dermatology, ethical concerns have emerged. We reviewed the existing literature to identify applications of AI in the field of dermatology and understand the ethical implications. Our search initially identified 202 papers, and after we went through them (screening), 68 were included in our review. We found that ethical concerns are related to the use of AI in the areas of clinical image analysis, teledermatology, natural language processing models, privacy, skin of colour representation, and patient and provider attitudes toward AI. We identified nine ethical principles to facilitate the safe use of AI in dermatology. These ethical principles include fairness, inclusivity, transparency, accountability, security, privacy, reliability, informed consent and conflict of interest. Although there are many benefits of integrating AI into clinical practice, our findings highlight how safeguards must be put in place to reduce rising ethical concerns.

Risk factors for developing depressive symptoms in the immediate postoperative period after Mohs micrographic surgery.

PURPOSE: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a highly efficacious, tissue sparing method of skin cancer removal. Nevertheless, in the months to years after MMS, psychosocial distress has been described. The present study addressed the immediate period after MMS and assessed the frequency and risk factors for development of depressive symptoms. METHODS: Subjects undergoing MMS at two physician practices (JL, FS) were included in this prospective cohort study. Preoperatively, a standardized depression screening, the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), was administered. After MMS, the PHQ-8 was readministered at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12. Average PHQ-8 score by week and change from baseline PHQ-8 score were the primary outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-three subjects were included of which 49 (78%) had a facial site. Twenty-two subjects (35%) had some increase in score during the 12-week follow-up period, of which 18 had a facial site. The oldest subjects (83-99 years, n = 14) had significantly higher PHQ-8 scores at week 4 (p < 0.01) and week 6 (p = 0.02) than all other age groups. There were no differences in scores between location groups. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of subjects had some increase in score during the follow-up period. Those in the oldest age cohort were at highest risk of increased score. In contrast to prior literature, those with facial sites were not at higher risk. This difference may be explained by increased masking during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, consideration of patients' psychologic status in the immediate postoperative period after MMS, particularly in the elderly population, may enhance perceived patient outcomes.

Postoperative Bleeding Complications Associated With Novel Oral Anticoagulants in Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are commonly prescribed, recently developed anticoagulants, but limited data exist on NOAC-related bleeding complications in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of postoperative bleeding in patients taking NOACs compared with patients taking no antithrombotic medications. METHODS/MATERIALS: A 5-year retrospective chart review of all MMS cases performed by a single surgeon was conducted. Patient and surgery characteristics, anticoagulant use, and bleeding complications were recorded. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred eighty-one MMS cases in 1,545 patients were included. There were 696/2,181 cases in which patients were taking at least 1 antithrombotic medication, with 149 on NOAC monotherapy and 15 on NOAC and aspirin combination therapy. Bleeding complications occurred in 22/2,181 cases. Patients on NOAC monotherapy did not have an increased risk of bleeding complications compared with patients on no antithrombotic medications (odds ratio [OR]:1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-7.97, p = .50). In contrast, patients on NOAC and aspirin combination therapy exhibited an increased bleeding risk (OR: 20.5, 95% CI: 3.99-105.7, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Novel oral anticoagulant use alone during MMS was not associated with an increased postoperative bleeding risk, supporting the safety of continuing NOAC therapy during MMS. However, NOAC and aspirin combination therapy was associated with a high postoperative bleeding risk. Nonetheless, these bleeding events did not lead to adverse long-term outcomes.

Surgical management of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon, locally aggressive cutaneous malignancy. Complete resection is the primary treatment but there is debate over the optimal method. Wide local excision was traditionally the standard of care; however, National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines now recommend Mohs micrographic surgery as the preferred approach. Medical therapy with imatinib can be used in advanced or unresectable disease. This review will discuss the current management of DFSP, focusing on optimal surgical approach.

Patient Satisfaction of General Dermatologists: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of 38,008 Online Reviews by Gender and Years of Experience.

Online reviews are the newest method for patients to evaluate their providers. However, insufficient studies focus on the role of inherent physician characteristics, such as gender and years of experience, on patient satisfaction. We analyzed both quantitative and qualitative online reviews of 350 general dermatology providers at 121 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited dermatology programs across the country to determine the effect of gender and years of experience. There were 38,008 online reviews of general dermatology providers. There was no significant difference in male and female overall ratings. Ratings were overall equally positive for both genders. Female providers were more likely to have positive written comments regarding time spent with patients (P = 0.027). New providers received highest overall, promptness, and time spent with patient ratings (P < 0.001). Medium experience providers received highest scores in bedside manner (P < 0.001), accurate diagnosis (P = 0.018), and ability to answer questions (P = 0.005). Advanced providers scored the lowest across all categories. In conclusion, gender did not significantly affect ratings, although females received more positive written comments on time spent with patients. Years of experience, however, is a significant factor in patient ratings, with new or medium experience providers scoring higher than advanced providers in every category.