Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1997 Nov;37(5 Pt 1):758-64.
doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(97)70114-2.

Usefulness of the staged excision for lentigo maligna and lentigo maligna melanoma: the "square" procedure

T M Johnson  1 , J T Headington, S R Baker, L Lowe
Affiliations

Usefulness of the staged excision for lentigo maligna and lentigo maligna melanoma: the "square" procedure

T M Johnson et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Management of lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) may present problems because of the characteristic, yet unpredictable, subclinical peripheral and periadnexal extension of atypical junctional melanocytic hyperplasia beyond the visible margins.

Objective: We used paraffin-embedded (permanent) peripheral vertical section margin control in a staged fashion in the management of LM and LMM.

Methods: We used a modification of surgical excision in a staged fashion by means of a two-bladed knife with permanent peripheral vertical section margin control.

Results: This method is technically easy and results in complete histologic evaluation of the peripheral margins without compromising the measurement of tumor thickness of the primary melanoma.

Conclusion: The use of the "square" procedure, a staged excision with permanent peripheral vertical section margin control, is useful in the management of LM and LMM.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

LinkOut - more resources