Outcome of Surgical Management of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberance: A Single-Institution Multidisciplinary Approach

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare, slow-growing, and locally aggressive soft tissue tumor with a high recurrence rate and metastatic potential, even with the proper treatment.

This was a retrospective (case series) study that took place at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to determine the outcomes of and appropriate margin excision for DFSP. All patients who were diagnosed with DFSP from 2016 to 2021 were included. The following variables were assessed: demographics, tumor characteristics, management options, and most importantly, whether patients were managed with an oncology-oriented approach or a non-oncology-oriented approach.

There were a total of seventeen patients with DFSP, four of whom had fibrosarcomatous differentiation (FS-DFSP). The majority (N = 13, 76.5%) of the patients were females. The lower extremities and back were the most common locations for DFSP, accounting for 47.1% and 23.5%, respectively. Only two (11.76%) patients had metastatic disease, one of whom had FS-DFSP. The minimum resection margin was 3 cm, and the maximum was 5 cm. Thirteen (76.47%) patients were managed with an oncology-oriented approach (Group I), 23% of whom had post-excision positive margins. However, all patients who were managed with a non-oncology-oriented approach (Group II) had positive margins post-excision. More than three-quarters (76.9%) of group I underwent wide resection. Split-thickness skin grafting and primary closure were the most commonly used reconstruction methods in groups I and II, respectively. The mean planned margins in groups I and II were 3.9 cm and 1.7 cm, respectively.

The findings of this study suggest that a planned wide-margin excision with a minimum safe margin of 3-5 cm should be implemented to reduce the recurrence, metastasis, and need for further surgeries in patients with DFSP.