Skin cryosurgery for the family physician

Abstract

Cryosurgery is a valuable addition to the clinical services offered by family physicians. In the office setting, a cryoprobe cooled with nitrous oxide gas or liquid nitrogen spray can be used to initiate gradual controlled destruction of many common skin lesions. Cryosurgery is often an excellent alternative to cold-knife surgery for actinic and seborrheic keratoses, verrucae, benign nevi, skin tags and polyps. Cryosurgically treated lesions usually heal with little or no scar formation. The benefits of various cryosurgical techniques justify the minimal effort and expense required to incorporate them into clinical practice.