MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF DERMATOFIBROSARCOMA PROTUBERANS

Course overview

DERMATOFIBROSARCOMA PROTUBERANS (DFSP) IS A RARE, LOCALLY AGGRESSIVE SOFT TISSUE TUMOR ORIGINATING FROM THE DERMAL LAYER OF THE SKIN. THIS CONDITION TYPICALLY PRESENTS AS A SLOW-GROWING, INDURATED PLAQUE OR NODULE, PREDOMINANTLY OCCURRING ON THE TRUNK AND PROXIMAL EXTREMITIES. WHILE DFSP IS CHARACTERIZED BY LOCAL INFILTRATION ALONG TISSUE PLANES, IT RARELY METASTASIZES. HOWEVER, HIGH-GRADE SARCOMATOUS CHANGES WITHIN THE TUMOR CAN OCCUR, POTENTIALLY AFFECTING BOTH THE PROGNOSIS AND THE APPROACH TO TREATMENT. DIAGNOSIS RELIES ON CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION, WITH IMAGING USED TO ASSESS THE EXTENT OF THE TUMOR WHEN NECESSARY. TREATMENT MODALITIES FOR DFSP INCLUDE MICROGRAPHIC DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY (MDS), SUCH AS MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY (MMS), WIDE LOCAL EXCISION, RADIATION THERAPY, AND PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPY.THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE COURSE, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS GAIN A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF DFSP'S ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS, AND OPTIMAL DIAGNOSTIC AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON MICROGRAPHIC DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, PARTICULARLY MMS, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR ACHIEVING TUMOR-FREE MARGINS WHILE PRESERVING FUNCTION AND COSMESIS. LEARNERS ALSO ACQUIRE SKILLS IN COLLABORATING WITH AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM, INCLUDING DERMATOLOGISTS, ONCOLOGISTS, RADIOLOGISTS, AND PATHOLOGISTS, TO ENHANCE PATIENT OUTCOMES. THIS COLLABORATIVE APPROACH ENSURES PRECISE TUMOR REMOVAL, MINIMIZES THE RISK OF RECURRENCE, AND ADDRESSES THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF PATIENTS WITH DFSP, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO IMPROVED CARE AND PATIENT SATISFACTION.