Surgical Outcomes of Cylindrocarcinoma Treated With Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Excision: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND

Cylindromas are benign adnexal tumors often associated with conditions such as Brooke-Spiegler Syndrome and familial cylindromatosis. Cylindromas can undergo malignant transformation into cylindrocarcinoma. Although surgical excision is the conventional treatment method for cylindrocarcinoma, comparative studies of outcomes and recurrence rates between Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and surgical excision are limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study's purpose is to analyze surgical outcomes of MMS and traditional surgical excision for cylindrocarcinoma based on published recurrence and metastasis data.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted utilizing PubMed and SCOPUS to identify articles addressing the treatment of cylindrocarcinoma through excision and/or MMS from inception to May 2024. The search terms included cylindrocarcinoma, malignant cylindroma, and cylindromatous carcinoma.

RESULTS

We identified 11 articles covering 12 patients and 18 procedures. 75% of MMS treatments (3/4) exhibited no recurrence, whereas only 42% of lesions treated with surgical excision (5/12) showed no recurrence or metastasis within the follow-up periods reported in the respective studies. However, in the single MMS case that did recur, the authors noted the possibility of a separate tumor within the area, indicating a multifocal malignancy.

LIMITATIONS: This study is limited by the lack of information regarding the margin sizes of excisions, reporting bias, and the small sample size due to the rarity of these tumors.

CONCLUSION

MMS demonstrated a lower recurrence rate in the treatment of cylindrocarcinoma compared to surgical excision. Due to the importance of early surgical intervention and attaining clear margins, MMS should be considered a viable and effective treatment option for the treatment of cylindrocarcinoma.

CITATION: Nguyen K, Chen A, Shalabi MMK, et al. Surgical outcomes of cylindrocarcinoma treated with Mohs micrographic surgery and excision: a systematic review. J Drugs Dermatol. 2025;24(5):444-446. doi:10.36849/JDD.8779.