Positive margins in XXXX : relationship to clinical features and recurrence risk. A retrospective study of 248 patients.

@entity5 @entity922 @entity1491
BACKGROUND: Incomplete resection of a @entity1491 does not necessarily imply @entity5 recurrence. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine the clinical features most often associated with positive surgical margins and to establish whether positive margins effectively imply @entity5 recurrence. METHODS: We did a retrospective evaluation of 273 @entity1491 in a total of 248 subjects. For each case, data regarding @entity5 location, sex, histological type and the presence or absence of affected surgical margins were collected. Follow-up was available in 151 cases. RESULTS: Positive margins were most often observed in @entity922 , particularly in the nasal and perioral areas, and for morphoeic histological types. Tumours with margin involvement exhibited a higher recurrence rate (26%) than those with free margins (14%) over a 5-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Individualized management, with special considerations depending on @entity5 location and histological type, is needed to treat @entity1491 and cases with affected margins. Re-excision, preferably with Mohs' surgery, is advised in the latter as recurrences are much more complicated to treat. Furthermore, all cases need adequate follow-up, even in cases with unaffected surgical margins.
