Successful Cryosurgery for Skin Tumors

The efficacy of cryosurgery for treatment of both benign and malignant skin and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats was evaluated in this prospective study. The technique used liquid nitrogen cryosurgical spray 1 cm away from the target lesion until a 5-mm halo of frozen tissue was observed (approximately 15 to 60 seconds). Lesions larger than 2 cm or protuberant or bulky cutaneous lesions were cytoreduced with a scalpel blade to make the lesion easier to freeze. Malignant lesions included squamous cell carcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Benign lesions included sebaceous adenoma, sebaceous epithelioma, benign peripheral nerve sheath tumor, meibomian epithelioma, fibroma, hemangioma, and trichoblastoma trabecular. Minor complications were edema and erythema in all wound regions and lameness. Edema persisted in larger lesions in 7 animals for up to a week but resolved within 48 hours in smaller wounds. Of 47 lesions, only 1 recurred in a dog with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor 7 months after cryosurgery. This dog was the first patient to be treated in the study, so technical error may have played a role. Overall, the frequency of major complications associated with cryosurgery is very low, with the most common permanent complication being alopecia. The authors suggest that cryosurgery be considered for cases in which skin and subcutaneous tumors are difficult to treat by other methods due to size, nature, or location.

COMMENTARY: In humans, cryosurgery is useful for treatment of tumors involving the eyelids, nose, ears, lips, dorsal surface of the hands, scalp, trunk, and lower parts of the limbs. This report describes the exciting possibility of cryosurgery as a widespread method for successful removal of dermal and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats. The technique could conceivably be promoted in private practice as well as referral centers as a unique method of treatment, similar to laser surgery. Unfortunately, the report did not use pictures to aid in the description of the technique. Therefore, fine details of the procedure are lost to the reader, emphasizing that further education on proper cryosurgical technique may be necessary for the average practitioner.

Clinical study of cryosurgery efficacy in the treatment of skin and subcutaneous tumors in dogs and cats. Queiroz GF, Matera J, Dagli M. VET SURG 37: 438-443, 2008.