[Control of section margins without any gaps in paraffin sections of melanoma of the face].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Malignant melanomas on sun-exposed skin are often poorly circumscribed and thus recur frequently. The aim of our clinical trial was to compare conventional to a modified micrographic surgery of primary melanoma.

PATIENTS/METHODS: 28 patients with in-situ (n = 7) and invasive (n = 21) melanoma were treated with conventional surgical excision with wide margins; eight of these patients developed a local recurrence. In comparison, 20 patients with primary in-situ (n = 7) and invasive (n = 13) melanoma as well as four patients with recurrence after conventional surgery underwent modified micrographic surgery with delayed closure of the wound.

RESULTS

Paraffin specimens of the margins revealed in half of the patients remnants of melanoma although excision was extended to non-lesional skin. Within a mean follow-up period of 21.3 months, none of our patients treated by modified surgery developed a recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Local recurrencies of melanoma on sun exposed skin may be avoided by means of a modified micrographic surgery using permanent histologic sections.