Cryosurgery of basal cell carcinoma.

Cryosurgery is now a widely accepted modality for the treatment of basal cell carcinomas. This article presents a practical approach to using cryosurgery for this purpose in the dermatologist's office. Understanding the cryobiologic basis of cryosurgery is a prerequisite. Aspects of treatment covered include selection and use of appropriate equipment, indications and contraindications for specific tumors, preoperative preparation, various treatment technics with clinical and instrumental depth-dose monitoring, postoperative care, cure rate, and cosmetic and functional end results. The overall results obtained by cryosurgery compare favorably with those obtained by other modalities. Cryosurgery is the treatment of choice for some basal cell carcinomas and a satisfactory alternate treatment for others.