Cryosurgery for Cutaneous Malignancy An Update

Abstract

The results of cryosurgery are comparable with other modalities. It may be preferable or advantageous for some patients because of the quickness and safety of the procedure and its low cost. With changes in health care spending due to law or regulation, and within the environment of a managed care system, dermatologists may choose cryosurgery on the basis of outcome and cost.

Feasibility of spray cryotherapy and balloon dilation for non-malignant strictures of the airway

“…Table 1 demonstrates the number of repeat cryotherapy treatment sessions required related to initial stricture severity. The mean follow-up was 8.2 months (range [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and was available in 33/35 patients. There were no perioperative deaths, but complications occurred after two procedures and included the need for a tracheostomy in one patient, and pneumothorax in another.…”

“…Because the integrity of the extracellular matrix remains largely intact at the current dosimetries used with SC [3], and because an intact stroma provides the structural framework for appropriate wound repair, a fundamental shift in the wound response results in a more normative healing process [17,18]. This has been observed in different tissues treated with this technology.…”

Principles of Cutaneous Cryosurgery: An Update

“…In rapidly dividing cells, the water content is directly proportional to the mitotic index, hence these cells are more likely to be damaged. A probe tip temperature lower than –180 °C and a tissue temperature at least as low as –50 to –60 °C have been shown essential to kill all target cells [10, 11, 12]. These parameters are required in cryosurgery of malignant skin tumours; an optimal cryosurgery of benign skin lesions only requires tissue temperatures of –20 to –25 °C.…”

47 Diagnosis and Treatment of Cutaneous Malignancies

“…In skilled hands, cryosurgery will give a cure rate in excess of 95% on selected SCCs and BCCs. 86 Wounds heal with secondary intention and leave hypopigmented, soft, sometimes depressed scars.…”