BACKGROUND: To demonstrate the authors’ experience on cryosurgery treatment for malignant and benign skin neoplasms on head , neck including mucosa. METHODS: The authors review a multicentric retrospective study of 1900 cases of patients with benign and malignant head and neck neoplasms attended and treated at CEON/HUOC/UPE, HCP and private clinic, from April 1977 to April 2002 (25 years). They also compare the data obtained with the literature review, and show their personal experience on its use. RESULTS: Within all cases registered, 57.9% were male and the fifth and sixth decades of life were most common (58.9%). The most prevalent histologica type was basal cell carcinoma (63.1% - 1200 cases), followed by hemangiomas (14.2% - 270 cases). The mean time of lesions exposure to liquid nitrogen was 15 and 35 seconds and the mean cicatrisation time were 14 and 21 days, for benign and malignant lesions, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cryosurgery indication must obey a few evaluation criteria, such as macroscopic aspect and lesion size, histological type, location, age and social profile. When correctly indicated and executed, it obtains identical cure rates as other conventional therapeutic methods.
Cryosurgery; Cryotherapy; Head and neck neoplasms
