Background: Immediate reconstruction after removal of skin cancer by Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) may not be feasible in patients unwilling or unable to undergo an extensive procedure. Human cadaveric allograft (HCA) may offer a useful alternative to granulation.
Objective: To examine the usefulness of HCA in resurfacing nasal defects after extirpation of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) by MMS.
Methods: Case histories of seven patients treated with HCA were reviewed with respect to primary skin cancer histology, defect size, medical status, healing time, and cosmesis.
Results: Five of seven tumors were infiltrative BCCs. Defects ranged from 2.7 to 20 cm2. Average healing times for wounds with and without exposed cartilage were 42 and 35 days, respectively. There were no wound infections. Hypergranulation tissue was noted in three patients and had no effect on cosmesis, which was adequate in five patients and poor in two patients.
Conclusion: HCA may be a useful alternative to granulation following MMS for treatment of skin cancers involving the nose.