Mohs Surgery: Technique, Indications, Applications, and the Future

• Each year, it is estimated, more than 500,000 new cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer develop.^1-3The majority of these cutaneous neoplasms are treated by various modalities that include excision,^4-6electrodesiccation and curettage,^7-9cryosurgery,^10,11and irradiation,^12,13with greater than 90% success.^3,14,15Certain of the remaining primary tumors, as well as recurrent carcinomas, present a demanding therapeutic challenge. For these lesions, Mohs surgery has evolved as the most reliable and cost-effective treatment modality, offering maximal preservation of normal tissue and therefore the lowest functional and cosmetic morbidity.^1,3,16-24In this review, the history and evolution of Mohs surgery and the technique itself will be briefly outlined. The indications for Mohs surgery, together with methods of handling the postoperative wound and future applications of the technique, will be discussed in detail.