A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON 758 HEAD AND NECK BASAL CELL CARCINOMAS

This retrospective study was carry out to asses the clinical outcome a series of 758 histologically proven basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) treated at the Plastic Surgery Units, Ferrara University, Italy in the period between January 2005 and December 2010. There were 318 (42%) females and 440 (58%) males, age ranged from 36 to 103 years with a mean value of 76 years (standard deviation 12 years). There were 601 (79.3%) T1 (i.e. maximum diameter less than 2 cm) and 157 (20.7%) T2 (maximum diameter comprise between 2 and 4 cm). Surgical technique was a resection and immediate suturing in 753 (99.3%) cases whereas resection plus graft was used in 5 (0.7%) patients. None had positive neck nodes (NO) and neck dissection was not performed. Histologically positive margins were detected in 136 (17.9%) cases and a second surgery was needed. Chi square text was used to detect those variables (i.e. T, type of surgery and site) potentially associated with positive margins. None of the studied variables was statistically correlated with positive margins. Head and neck BCC is frequent in elderly and wide resection is mandatory since tumors are wider than clinical appearance shows.