Injectable sodium chloride as a local anesthetic for skin surgery.

Sodium chloride injected intracutaneously has proved to be an effective local anesthetic for superficial skin surgery. Among the advantages of sodium chloride over the "caines" are: absence of burning or stinging on injection, lack of sensitization, and lower cost. Lesions can be removed by the parallel scalpel technique, razor technique, or curettage. Saline also provides adequate anesthesia for punch biopsies and electrocautery techniques. Lesions removed to date have been numerous--nevi, papillomas, and verrucas. Biopsies of benign and malignant lesions have also been performed with this technique.