Basal cell carcinoma of the vulva: treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery

Abstract

Vulval basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are rare, representing < 5% of vulval malignancies and 1% of all BCCs. They often present with nonspecific symptoms and features that lead to large, poorly circumscribed and late-presenting lesions. Current and conventional treatments used to treat vulval BCC include cryotherapy, imiquimod and excision. However, recurrence rates as high as 20% have been reported with these treatments. Furthermore, there are no current clinical guidelines for their management. We present the first reported series of patients with vulval BCC treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). We report seven cases of vulval BCC treated with MMS at a tertiary referral centre over 3 years. Follow-up was performed at 3 months and up to 3 years. Our series demonstrates that there were no postoperative complications, functional sequelae or recurrences up to the 3-year follow-up. We therefore recommend that MMS should be considered in the management of vulval BCCs.

Diagnosing Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“…The therapeutic strategy for vulvar basal cell carcinoma most commonly includes excisional biopsy, as was the case for the patient described above, or wide local excision [ 3 , 4 ]. The use of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) has been reported to improve the rate of recurrence of vulvar BCC, though the sample size is still very small, with only 15 cases being reported [ 4 , 14 , 17 ]. Overall, these surgical therapies are largely curative, with an estimated 5% of cases recurring locally, typically due to incomplete excision [ 4 ].…”

Treatment of vulvar basal cell carcinoma with Slow‐Mohs micrographic surgery A case report

“…It mainly occurs in sun‐exposed areas with nearly 85% of the BCCs located on the head and neck region. 1 , 2 , 3 …”

“…It mainly occurs in sun-exposed areas with nearly 85% of the BCCs located on the head and neck region. [1][2][3] Vulvar BCC is rare and accounts for less than 0.4% of all BCCs 1 ; only 2-5% of all vulvar malignancies are BCC. 2 Affected women are typically white, with a mean age of 70.35 years.…”

“…Vulvar BCC is rare and accounts for less than 0.4% of all BCCs 1 ; only 2–5% of all vulvar malignancies are BCC 2 . Affected women are typically white, with a mean age of 70.35 years 4 .…”

“…Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer. It mainly occurs in sun‐exposed areas with nearly 85% of the BCCs located on the head and neck region 1–3 …”