A technical consideration in the serial excision of a nevus

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Large congenital nevi present significant surgical challenges.
• Serial excision is a technique used for managing extensive skin lesions.

Observation:

• A case involving a large compound nevus on the leg is presented.
• The initial surgical excision was not entirely intralesional.

Findings:

• Failure to achieve complete intralesional excision led to pigmentary deposits in adjacent normal skin.
• This indicates that even microscopic residual nevus cells can cause recurrence or pigmentary changes.

Implications:

• Meticulous surgical technique is crucial for complete removal of benign or malignant skin lesions.
• Proper intralesional excision prevents recurrence and unwanted pigmentary alterations in surrounding tissues.