Removal of Incidental Skin Cancer During Mohs Micrographic Surgery Indicated for a Different Primary Tumor.

BACKGROUND: Mohs surgery is a tissue-sparing, microscopically controlled procedure used to treat biopsy-proven skin cancers. Because Mohs surgery allows for examination of the complete margin of each tissue layer removed, separate cancers can be treated concomitantly when identified. As early detection of skin cancer is beneficial for reducing morbidity, incidental tumors discovered during Mohs surgery are of significant interest. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of incidental skin cancers found during Mohs surgery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of cases seen at University of California, San Diego, from 2014 to 2021 was performed. RESULTS: Of 13,464 Mohs surgery cases, 4.53% ( n = 610) had incidental skin cancers found during removal of the initially identified tumor. Of the 610 cases, 88.4% ( n = 539) had basal cell carcinoma as the primary tumor and either squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or SCC in situ as the incidental tumor. About 7.87% ( n = 48) had SCC as the primary tumor and basal cell carcinoma as the incidental tumor. All tumors were removed with clear margins and without significant complications. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of incidental tumors during Mohs surgery enables early detection of skin cancer and circumvents the need for additional surgery, likely resulting in decreased morbidity and improved cost-effectiveness.

A 4-year retrospective assessment of postoperative complications in immunosuppressed patients following Mohs micrographic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Many patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery for basal and squamous cell carcinomas are immunocompromised, yet postoperative complications associated with different types of immunosuppression are largely unstudied. OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and nature of postoperative complications in immunosuppressed patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional chart review of patient characteristics, clinical characteristics, and complications. RESULTS: Univariable analysis showed that compared with immunocompetence, immunosuppression was associated with 9.6 times the odds of postoperative complication (P = .003), with solid organ transplant recipients having 8.824 times higher odds (P = .006) and immunosuppressive therapy use displaying 5.775 times higher odds (P = .021). Surgical site infection (2.5%) and dehiscence (0.51%) were more prevalent among immunosuppressed patients, with an overall complication rate of 5.4% in the immunosuppressed population. Multivariable analysis of the association between immunosuppression and postoperative complication closely trended toward, but did not meet, significance (P = .056). LIMITATIONS: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Other limitations include lack of non-solid organ transplants, limited medication-related data on nontransplant patients, and exclusion of cases involving patients with double transplants or multiple sources of immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Immunosuppression overall, particularly owing to solid organ transplant and immunosuppressive therapy use, places patients at higher risk for postoperative complications, including surgical site infection and wound dehiscence following MMS.

A Retrospective Analysis of Complication Rates in Mohs Micrographic Surgery Patients With Clinically Large Tumors and Tumors With Aggressive Subclinical Extension.

BACKGROUND: Clinically large cutaneous tumors and those with aggressive subclinical extension (ASE) often require wider margins and increased operative time during Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Our goal is to improve dermatologic surgeons' counseling information on complication risks for aggressive tumors. OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence of postoperative complications in MMS patients, with a focus on differences between aggressive and non-aggressive tumors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional chart review of 4151 MMS cases at the University of California, San Diego. A postoperative complication was defined as an adverse event directly related to MMS reported within 6 weeks of the procedure. RESULTS: Clinically, large tumors had 50 times the odds of postoperative complication as compared to all other tumors (P less than 0.001). ASE was not found to be significantly associated with higher rates of postoperative complications when controlled for other factors. CONCLUSION: Clinically, large tumors may be at higher risk for complications following MMS due to their increased size and need for repair with methods other than linear closures. Tumors with ASE were not found to be at higher risk for postoperative complications. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(5):511-515.

Adult with morbilliform rash and tattoo bullae.

A 34-year-old woman was diagnosed with Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS), most likelyrelated to a reaction to allopurinol.The patient presented with a 2-week history of a painful pruritic rash that started on her back and progressed to the rest of her body over a five-day period. The eruption started after several new drugs were started, including allopurinol for hyperuricemia. On physical examination, the patient had a diffuse morbilliform eruption and geometric intact bullae limited to the boundaries of tattoos.Most presentations of DRESS include a morbilliform eruption.  However, DRESS does not commonly present with bullae. There have been no known reported cases of bullae forming in the area of tattoos in cases of DRESS. This unique presentation suggests that a component of the tattoo or tattooing process alters the cutaneous immune response, creating an immunocompromiseddistrict. This alteration may promote a greater localized reaction in the setting of widespread skin involvement in DRESS.

Coalescing nodules on the trunk of an infant: juvenile xanthogranuloma 'en plaque'.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign, non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, which commonly manifests as a solitary papule or nodule in infants and young children. However, other less common clinical presentations have been reported including clustered, agminated or plaque-like. It is important to recognize these variants, as diagnosis is often clinical. We highlight a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma presenting as nodules on the trunk of an infant that gradually coalesced to form a larger plaque.

Localized blanching erythema in a patient with vulvar carcinoma.

Mammary-like carcinoma arising in the vulva is a rare type of vulvar malignancy. Cutaneous metastasis of vulvar carcinoma is uncommon and the majority of cases have been reported in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. We describe a 69-year-old woman with mammary-like carcinoma of the vulva with cutaneous metastasis presenting as asymptomatic localized blanching erythema.