Surgical treatment of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

The clinical course and histopathologic factors of 50 consecutive patients treated for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans were reviewed. Forty-eight patients were observed until the present time or death. No patient had distant metastases develop, although 16 patients had 18 recurrences of the dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans at the site of initial therapy. There was no correlation between the diameter of the primary lesion and the incidence of recurrence. There was no correlation between the histologic pattern of invasion and recurrence. However, a trend toward decreasing recurrence was noted with increasing minimal margins of resections (41 per cent less than 2 centimeters versus 24 per cent greater than or equal to 2 centimeters). The lowest incidence of recurrence (20 per cent) was noted with minimal margins of resection greater than or equal to 3 centimeters. Five year recurrence free survival rates increased with increasing margins of resection--59 per cent less than 1 centimeter; 66 per cent greater than or equal to 1 centimeter; 70 per cent greater than or equal to 2 centimeters, and 80 per cent greater than or equal to 3 centimeters. No patient had distant metastases and no change in histologic pattern was noted with progressive local recurrence.