BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinomas of the skin of the head are better treated with Mohs micrographic surgery which has the lowest recurrence rates and allows spare normal tissue. There are some characteristics of squamous cell carcinoma that can be related to a higher number of surgical stages. OBJECTIVE: To study characteristic of head squamous cell carcinoma that predicts a higher number of Mohs surgical stages. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 51 squamous cell carcinomas of the head treated with Mohs surgery was performed to determine risk factors for a higher number of surgical stages. The characteristics analyzed were clinical limits, morphology, recurrence, histological differentiation and size and compared to the number of surgical stages. The analysis was performed by Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The recurrent squamous cell carcinomas showed a tendency for a higher number of stages (p=0,081). The Odds Ratio for a higher number of Mohs stages was three for inaccurate limits; although not statistically significant,it corroborates clinical and previous publication. CONCLUSION: Clinical characteristics of squamous cell carcinoma as recurrence and inaccurate limits would not predict, but could indicate tendency of a higher number of Mohs micrographic surgery stages.
Carcinoma, squamous cell; Clinical practice guideline; Head and neck neoplasms; Mohs surgery; Skin neoplasms; Skin neoplasms
