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Wide excision, Mohs micrographic surgery effectively treated primary lentigo maligna
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Wide excision and Mohs micrographic surgery were both effective in treating patients with primary lentigo maligna, with low recurrence rates, according to recently published study results.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., conducted a retrospective study of primary lentigo maligna (LM) cases treated between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 31, 2005. Recurrence and outcomes after treatment for recurrence were the study’s main outcome measures.
There were 423 LM lesions treated in 407 patients (mean age at biopsy: 70.2 years), including 269 treated with wide excision with 5-mm margins and 154 treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).
Recurrences occurred in three of the MMS-treated lesions (1.9%), which were primarily larger head and neck lesions with indistinct clinical margins. Recurrences also occurred in 16 of the wide excision-treated lesions (5.9%), which were primarily smaller, nonhead and neck or more distinct lesions. Surgery for the 16 biopsy-proven recurrences included standard excision and MMS.
The researchers concluded MMS may offer increased cure rates and help avoid the need for repeat surgery, thus becoming the preferred method of treatment for LM. However, wide excision was also associated with high cure rates and may be the better choice for low-risk tumors.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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