Mohs' micrographic surgery as a treatment for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare soft tissue tumor that grows slowly and is locally invasive. The current standard treatment is wide local excision with a margin of three centimeters. Despite the wide margin, recurrence rates are still approximately 8%. Using Mohs' micrographic surgery (MMS) a recurrence rate of approximately 1% is achieved and healthy tissue is preserved. From 2010 to 2012 a total of 26 patients with a DFSP were treated with MMS at the department of dermatology at the Erasmus MC. Based on our experience and according to the Dutch guidelines for soft tissue tumors we can confirm that MMS is a suitable treatment for DFSPs, especially when a wide excision may be mutilating.