Background: Malignant skin tumors rarely spread along nerves. Complete resection of involved nerves is often unsuccessful.
Objective: In the treatment of tumors with perineural invasion, surgeons should accurately estimate the extent of distant spread.
Methods: We report six cases of skin cancers, including two basal cell carcinomas, two squamous cell carcinomas, and two neurotropic malignant melanomas, that invaded nerve or perineural spaces.
Results: In three of the cases, the tumors developed on the face and involved the infraorbital nerves or its branches. Two patients suffered from tumors on old burn scars of lower legs. Branches of posttibal nerves were involved in both cases. In the last case, tumor invasion of a branch of the greater occipital nerve was detected.
Conclusion: The extent of surgical excision should include the area of skin supplied by the affected nerve, which must be resected in continuity.