Lymphovascular Invasion in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUNDAlthough there is a large body of literature regarding risk stratification and outcomes for perineural invasion (PNI) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), there is a relative paucity of studies exploring the role of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in cSCC and a lack of clear evidence-based guidelines for how to manage patients with these tumors.OBJECTIVEThis article is intended to review the available literature regarding LVI in cSCC and formulate evidence-based recommendations for clinical management.METHODS AND MATERIALSA literature review was conducted using PubMed to find relevant articles relating to outcomes and management of primary cSCC with LVI.RESULTSThe available literature suggests that LVI is a major risk factor for poor outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality in cSCC.CONCLUSIONLymphovascular invasion is a very high-risk feature that should place these tumors in the highest-risk category, and management of these tumors should be similar to that of squamous cell carcinoma with PNI.