The Australian Mohs database, part II - Periocular basal cell carcinoma outcome at 5-year follow-up

ObjectiveTo report the outcome with 5-year strict follow-up (only cases where 5-year follow-up is available) of all patients with periocular basal cell carcinoma (BCC) treated with Mohs' micrographic surgery (MMS) in Australia between 1993 and 1996.DesignProspective, noncomparative, multicenter, interventional case series.MethodsA prospective series of 819 patients, undergoing MMS for periocular BCC over a 3-year period (1993-1996).Inclusion criteriaPeriocular BCC referred for MMS.Main outcome measuresRecurrence, site, size, prior occurrence, defect size, histologic subtype, and presence of perineural invasion.ResultsEight hundred nineteen patients had 257 (54%) lower eyelid, 195 (41%) medial canthus, and 22 (5%) upper eyelid BCCs. The most common histologic subtypes were nodulocystic (43%) and infiltrating (30%) (P = 0.0003). Sixty-eight percent were primary and 32% were recurrent tumors. Five-year follow-ups for cases between 1993 and 1996 were available in 347 (42%) cases. There were 7 recurrences (2.0%; exact 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82%-4.1%), 5 of which were at the medial canthus and all of which were previously recurrent, with up to 3 recurrences before MMS. Previous recurrence (PConclusionThe Australian MMS database is the largest prospective nationwide series of periocular BCC managed by MMS. The strict 5-year recurrence rates of 0% and 7.8% for primary and recurrent tumors, respectively, confirm MMS as the treatment of choice for periocular BCC