Eric M Finley | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

The crisscross tie-over tacking suture revisited.

BACKGROUND: Deep pexing or tacking sutures can be useful in certain situations encountered in dermatologic surgery when surface concavities require recreation. OBJECTIVE: To examine and discuss some pexing suture techniques that have been described in the past and to outline alternatives. METHODS: Pexing suture techniques are presented in a series of schematic diagrams that follow. RESULTS: The crisscross tie-over tacking suture as described by Albertini is shown as well as a modification that theoretically lessens complication risk. The pexing buried vertical mattress suture is then presented. CONCLUSION: The dermatologic surgeon may find pexing or deep tacking sutures helpful in selected cases.

Dermatology↗

PubMed2003

Basosquamous carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Basosquamous carcinoma (BSC) is a rare cutaneous tumor that has been poorly described in the dermatologic literature. It has been depicted as an aggressive tumor with a high incidence of distant metastasis. OBJECTIVE: To examine the average extent of local tissue invasion and presence of distant metastases in cases of BSC compared with those of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: One thousand consecutive Mohs surgery cases performed between January 1993 and May 1995 at the Oschner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana, for histologically confirmed BCC, SCC, and BSC were reviewed. Each case was retrospectively evaluated for tumor type, anatomic location, number of Mohs stages performed, and presence of metastases at the time of surgery, as determined by chest radiograph. RESULTS: Seven hundred forty-five BCCs, 228 SCCs, and 27 BSCs (1,000 tumors total) were treated in 580 patients. The average number of stages required for clear margins in cases of BCC, SCC, and BSC was 1.62, 1.51, and 2.00, respectively. The prevalence of metastasis was 0.87% for SCC and 7.4% for BSC, which was statistically significant (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, BSCs displayed tissue invasion similar to that of BCC or SCC but had a higher frequency of pulmonary metastasis than SCC.

Carcinoma, Basosquamous↗