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ABSTRACT: Cryosurgery is a method of treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Despite numerous studies reporting excellent cure rates with cryosurgery, there are no studies in the literature that have shown a histologic cure of BCC.
We sought to show histologically that cryosurgery is an effective cure for well-defined, noduloulcerative BCC of the trunk and upper extremities.
Twelve noduloulcerative BCCs of the trunk and proximal upper extremities less than 1 cm were treated with single freeze-thaw cryosurgery using a cryoprobe apparatus with liquid nitrogen. A thermocouple needle measured temperature, with the goal to reach between -50 degrees C and -60 degrees C. One to 2 months later, the site was excised and examined with horizontal step sections throughout the entire tissue.
No tissue specimens had histologic evidence of tumor.
Single freeze-thaw cryosurgery provides a histologic cure of well-defined, noduloulcerative BCCs of the trunk and extremities less than or equal to 1 cm.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 10/2003; 49(3):483-6. · 3.99 Impact Factor
