Objective: The primary aim of this study is to determine a quantifiable difference in surgical outcomes between local skin flap, full thickness skin graft (FTSG), and secondary intention (SI) following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the distal third of the nose.
Methods: A retrospective chart review of 66 MMS defects on the distal third of the nose performed by a single surgeon between June 2019 to June 2020 was completed. Clinical images of MMS defects and postoperative scars at six months were recorded and measured by the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). Pearson Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were utilized to determine the relationship between the main predictor variables and VSS.
Results: Of the 66 patients retained, 52 were deemed to have low VSS (77.61%), 11 had medium VSS (16.42%) and three had high VSS (4.48%). Of the 52 patients with low VSS, 40 underwent local flap (76.92%), nine underwent FTSG (17.31%), and three healed by SI (5.77%). Of the 11 patients with medium VSS, two underwent local flap (18.15%), nine underwent FTSG (81.82%), and zero healed by SI. Of the three patients with high VSS, zero underwent local flap or SI, while all three underwent FTSG (100%). Bivariate analysis demonstrated that repair type employed was associated with VSS at six months (p<0.0001) with patients treated with local skin flap having better outcomes.
Conclusion: Our data illustrate that local skin flaps might result in a lower VSS at six months compared to FTSG or SI, therefore offering superior surgical outcomes in the treatment of BCC on the distal third of the nose.
Keywords: Mohs micrographic surgery; full thickness skin graft; local skin flap; secondary intention.
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