Dermatologic surgery deals with the surgical treatment of all skin conditions that require the removal of skin lesions for oncologic or cosmetic purposes.
These surgical procedures are performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. They involve the excision of the lesion using a scalpel and the reconstruction of the skin defect through primary or secondary intention closure, utilizing specific dressings.
Certain skin lesions can also be removed using other methods such as surgical lasers, diathermy coagulation, shave excision (tangential excision), curettage (simple scraping), or cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen treatment).
The main conditions treated with this procedure predominantly include: moles, cysts, lipomas, fibromas, papillomas, warts, seborrheic and actinic keratoses, melanomas, and epitheliomas.
These are often bothersome lesions that do not evolve into tumorous pathologies. The most common ones are:
- Seborrheic keratoses (verrucous lesions) usually found on the face and trunk, with itching as a major symptom. Sometimes, when hyperpigmented, they may be differentially diagnosed with melanoma.
- Skin tags (pendulous growths of skin found on the neck and armpits) can sometimes become constricted or traumatized.
The treatment of choice is typically surgical CO2 laser, or sometimes cryotherapy or diathermy coagulation.
Precancerous lesions resulting from sun damage and predominantly affecting sun-exposed areas. Early diagnosis and treatment help prevent the onset of squamous cell carcinomas. Treatment involves the use of photoprotective creams, anti-inflammatory or antitumor creams, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and CO2 laser.
The carcinomas are skin tumors derived from keratinocytes that typically affect sun-exposed areas that have undergone chronic sun damage. The main types are:
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), which is the least aggressive. It usually has only local progression. Superficial forms can be treated with anti-tumor creams, CO2 laser, or cryotherapy.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is more invasive than the former. It requires surgical removal with clear margins, and in advanced stages, it can metastasize.
Melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors in dermatology depending on the stage at which it is removed. Early diagnosis allows for saving patients' lives. The most important causes are genetics and sun exposure. Individuals with fair skin types are more affected. The therapy is surgical, involving the removal of the lesion followed by a wide excision procedure associated with other instrumental and surgical investigations if the tumor is at a more advanced stage, thus having a high probability of metastasis.
It is a specialized surgery that requires a thorough understanding of the nail apparatus. The most common pathology is ingrown toenail, which usually requires partial onychectomy. In cases of suspicious tumor lesions, a biopsy may be performed, and more extensive interventions may be necessary in cases of melanoma.
Cryotherapy • Skin biopsy • Tangential excision • Surgical excision •
Dermatologic surgery deals with the surgical treatment of all skin conditions that require the removal of skin lesions for oncologic or cosmetic purposes.
These surgical procedures are performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. They involve the excision of the lesion using a scalpel and the reconstruction of the skin defect through primary or secondary intention closure, utilizing specific dressings.
Certain skin lesions can also be removed using other methods such as surgical lasers, diathermy coagulation, shave excision (tangential excision), curettage (simple scraping), or cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen treatment).
The main conditions treated with this procedure predominantly include: moles, cysts, lipomas, fibromas, papillomas, warts, seborrheic and actinic keratoses, melanomas, and epitheliomas.
These are often bothersome lesions that do not evolve into tumorous pathologies. The most common ones are:
- Seborrheic keratoses (verrucous lesions) usually found on the face and trunk, with itching as a major symptom. Sometimes, when hyperpigmented, they may be differentially diagnosed with melanoma.
- Skin tags (pendulous growths of skin found on the neck and armpits) can sometimes become constricted or traumatized.
The treatment of choice is typically surgical CO2 laser, or sometimes cryotherapy or diathermy coagulation.
Precancerous lesions resulting from sun damage and predominantly affecting sun-exposed areas. Early diagnosis and treatment help prevent the onset of squamous cell carcinomas. Treatment involves the use of photoprotective creams, anti-inflammatory or antitumor creams, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and CO2 laser.
The carcinomas are skin tumors derived from keratinocytes that typically affect sun-exposed areas that have undergone chronic sun damage. The main types are:
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), which is the least aggressive. It usually has only local progression. Superficial forms can be treated with anti-tumor creams, CO2 laser, or cryotherapy.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is more invasive than the former. It requires surgical removal with clear margins, and in advanced stages, it can metastasize.
Melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors in dermatology depending on the stage at which it is removed. Early diagnosis allows for saving patients' lives. The most important causes are genetics and sun exposure. Individuals with fair skin types are more affected. The therapy is surgical, involving the removal of the lesion followed by a wide excision procedure associated with other instrumental and surgical investigations if the tumor is at a more advanced stage, thus having a high probability of metastasis.
It is a specialized surgery that requires a thorough understanding of the nail apparatus. The most common pathology is ingrown toenail, which usually requires partial onychectomy. In cases of suspicious tumor lesions, a biopsy may be performed, and more extensive interventions may be necessary in cases of melanoma.
Cryotherapy • Skin biopsy • Tangential excision • Surgical excision •
