Introduction and background

Authors: Frederik Gulmark Hansen, med.stud., Magnus Balslev Avnstorp, MD

Introduction

This chapter teaches you the basics of facial tumor excision and the subsequent suturing of the defect.

To learn about local flaps to close excision defects please go to the chapter Facial flaps where is it described
The chapter Facial flaps teaches you how to reconstruct facial defects using local flaps.

Definitions

Langers Lines: The natural lines of skin tension (wrinkles), which corresponds with the orientation of the collagen fibers in the dermis (fig. 1)

Select anatomical location in the menu for region-specific excisions

Background

Excision of facial tumors was first described in the Indian “Compendium of Sushruta” back in 600 BC. (1).
Excision of facial tumors are, as most other skin excisions, most often performed to remove tissue that is either suspected of malignancy (e.g. melanomas, squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma) or benign tissue (e.g. seborrheic warts).

Pathophysiology

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and Nevi suspicious of melanoma are the 3 most common tumors excised from the face. Click the links, for more information on the topics.