Establishing Consensus for Mohs Micrographic Surgical Techniques in the Treatment of Melanoma in Situ for Future Clinical Trials: A Modified Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a promising treatment modality for melanoma in situ (MIS). However, variations in surgical technique limit the generalizability of existing data and may impede future study of MMS in clinical trials. METHODS: A modified Delphi method was selected to establish consensus on optimal MMS techniques for treating MIS in future clinical trials. The Delphi method was selected due to the limited current data, the wide range of techniques used in the field, and the intention to establish a standardized technique for future clinical trials. A literature review and interviews with experienced MMS surgeons were performed to identify dimensions of the MMS technique for MIS that (1) likely impacted costs or outcomes of the procedure, and (2) showed significant variability between surgeons. A total of 8 dimensions of technical variation were selected. The Delphi process consisted of 2 rounds of voting and commentary, during which 44 expert Mohs surgeons across the United States rated their agreement with specific recommendations using a Likert scale. RESULTS: Five of eight recommendations achieved consensus in Round 1. All 3 of the remaining recommendations achieved consensus in Round 2. Techniques achieving consensus in Round 1 included the use of a starting peripheral margin of ≤5 mm, application of immunohistochemistry, frozen tissue processing, and resecting to the depth of subcutaneous fat. Consensus on the use of Wood's lamp, dermatoscope, and negative tissue controls was established in Round 2. CONCLUSIONS: This study generated 8 consensus recommendations intended to offer guidance for Mohs surgeons treating MIS. The adoption of these recommendations will promote standardization to facilitate comparisons of aggregate data in multicenter clinical trials.

Primary cutaneous Ewing sarcoma in a young boy.

We report a 10-year-old boy with the challenging presentation of a left toe nodule that failed empiric treatments and was biopsied. Immunohistochemistry and florescence in situ hybridization enabled the diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma (ES). This case emphasizes the importance of including ES on the clinical differential to minimize diagnostic delays.

Disease Progression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients With Satellitosis and In-transit Metastasis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Satellitosis/in-transit metastasis (S-ITM) has prognostic value in melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma, but is not incorporated into cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) staging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From our IRB-approved registry, patients with high-risk cSCC, including patients with S-ITM, were identified. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) analyses were performed to compare disease progression (DP) and overall survival (OS). Cumulative incidence of DP and OS analyses were performed using Fine-Gray and Kaplan-Meier methods, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 18 S-ITM subjects were compared to 247 high risk subjects including T3N0 (n=143), N1-N3 without extranodal extension (ENE) (n=56), N1-N3 with ENE (n=26) and M1 disease (n=22). Median follow up was 16.5 months. Three-year rates of DP were 22% for T3N0, 42% for S-ITM, 48% for T4 bone invasion, 50% for N1-N3 without extranodal extension (ENE), 53% for N1-N3 with ENE, and 66% for M1. Patients with S-ITM did not experience significantly worse DP compared to those with T3N0 (HR=1.96, 95%CI=0.8-4.9; p=0.14). CONCLUSION: Cutaneous SCC patients with S-ITM experienced outcomes similar to locally advanced non-metastatic cSCC patients. Larger studies are needed to guide incorporation into staging systems.

Use of Extranasal Bilobed Transposition Flaps in Cutaneous Reconstructive Surgery at 2 Institutions.

BACKGROUND: Bilobed transposition flaps are versatile random pattern flaps used in nasal and extranasal reconstruction as they preserve free margins, access distal tissue reservoirs, and reliably repair dynamic defects. OBJECTIVE: We highlight the utility of extranasal bilobed flaps to encourage surgeons to consider these flaps for Mohs micrographic surgery defects. METHODS: A two-institution retrospective chart review of patients reconstructed using an extranasal bilobed flap after Mohs micrographic surgery was performed. A validated scar scale was applied to postoperative photographs. Statistical analyses of the patient and surgery characteristics including patient co-morbidities, anatomic distribution, flap dimensions, and postprocedural events, including revisions, were conducted. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were identified. Site-specific flap dimensions were obtained with the cheek/lower eyelid requiring greater tissue mobilization with a higher final to primary defect ratio when compared with other sites. Postoperative events (complications, erythema, flap fullness, dehiscence, infection, etc.) were minimal. No major complications were noted. Nine cases of flap fullness or swelling were identified. Neither flap fullness nor dehiscence compromised flap integrity or cosmetic outcome. Independent flap cosmetic outcome review was good using a validated photographic scar scale. CONCLUSION: Bilobed transposition flaps are versatile repairs for extranasal reconstruction with a favorable safety and outcome profile.

Diagnoses of hospitalized patients with skin abnormalities prompting biopsy by consulting dermatologists: A 3-year review from a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologists play an important role in diagnosing and managing hospitalized patients with cutaneous abnormalities. Skin biopsies remain an indispensable tool for aiding dermatologists in accurate diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to determine the range of conditions, and the most common conditions, prompting skin biopsy by dermatology hospital consultation (HCON) services to aid in evaluation of hospitalized patients. METHODS: All hospitalized patients seen by a single tertiary care center dermatology HCON service between 2015 and 2018 who had associated skin biopsies were identified. Histologic features and clinical diagnoses of each patient were classified into 13 histologic reaction pattern categories. RESULTS: Eight hundred and thirty one inpatients evaluated by our dermatology HCON service had 914 skin biopsies. The most frequent diagnostic categories prompting biopsy were vasculopathic (17.6%), interface dermatitis (16.5%), infectious (12.6%), and spongiotic dermatitis (10.9%). The most frequent diagnostic categories included drug reaction (13.2%), leukocytoclastic vasculitis (8.5%), skin cancer (5.4%), graft-vs-host disease (3.5%), connective tissue disease (3.3%), and calciphylaxis (3.0%). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests a variety of serious diseases affecting inpatients prompts biopsy by dermatology consultation services. Educational curricula for dermatology and pathology residents, fellows, and staff designed with these data may enhance knowledge that improves the quality of inpatient dermatology care.

Updates in Melanoma.

Skin cancer is reaching epidemic levels in the United States. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of melanoma have allowed improved risk stratification in the revised American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) criteria, new tests to capture patients at higher risk than their stage may indicate, and new treatments to offer hope and cures to patients with advanced disease.

Predictors of sentinel lymph node positivity in thin melanoma using the National Cancer Database.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) specimens are often obtained from patients for further staging after these patients have undergone melanoma excision. Limited data regarding predictors of SLNB positivity in thin melanoma are available. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate predictors of SLNB positivity in thin melanoma. METHODS: Patients with cutaneous melanoma with a Breslow thickness ≤1.00 mm who received a SLNB were identified from the National Cancer Database between 2004 and 2014 (n = 9186). Predictors of SLNB positivity were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis, patients <60 years of age (P < .001) and Breslow thickness >0.8 mm (P = .03) were at increased risk for positive sentinel lymph node (SLN). Moreover, on multivariate analysis, the presence of dermal mitoses increased the odds of SLN positivity by 95% (odds ratio [OR] 1.95 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.53-2.5], P < .001), ulceration by 63% (OR 1.63 [95% CI 1.21-2.18], P < .001), and Clark level IV to V by 48% (OR 1.48 [95% CI 1.19-1.85]). Patients without ulceration but with dermal mitoses had 92% (OR 1.92 [95% CI 1.5-2.48], P < .001) increased SLN positivity. LIMITATIONS: Limited survival data are available. CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, a Breslow thickness >0.8 mm, the presence of dermal mitoses, ulceration, and Clark level IV to V are positive predictors of positive SLN. While the new American Joint Committee on Cancer system has removed dermal mitotic rate from staging, continued evaluation of dermal mitotic rate could be valuable for guiding surgical decision making about SLNB.

Prognostic value of sentinel lymph node biopsy according to Breslow thickness for cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is widely performed for melanoma with certain histologic parameters and offers important prognostic and staging information. Breslow thickness (BT) by itself also provides meaningful prognostic information. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether SLN status provides prognostic information independent from that which is already provided by BT. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 896 patients who underwent SLN biopsy for primary cutaneous melanoma. Stratified analysis of the impact of SLN status within BT groups (0.01-1 mm, 1.01-2.00 mm, 2.01-4.00 mm, and >4.00 mm) was performed. In addition, a Cox proportional hazard model was fit to evaluate the interaction between BT unadjusted and then adjusted for SLN status to determine whether predictive ability is improved. RESULTS: Having a negative SLN did not confer a statistically significant survival advantage for any BT subgroup (P = .54, .075, .17, and .95 for subgroups 0.01-1 mm, 1.01-2.00 mm, 2.01-4.00 mm, and >4.00 mm, respectively). In multivariate analysis, SLN status did not demonstrate independent prognostic ability over that of BT alone (P = .067). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study, single institution. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that SLN status does not offer better prognostic information for patients than BT alone.