THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POSITIVE MARGINS (KNOWN AND UNKNOWN) AT THE CONCLUSION OF MOHS SURGERY IN THE ORBITAL REGION

The Mobs fresh tissue technique :has provided a high rate of cure in c ases of malignant tumors in the orbital region. However, in some patie nts, tumor may persist after Mobs surgery if margins are falsely negat ive or if the Mohs surgeon elects to terminate the procedure with know n positive margins. We report six patients who had residual tumor pres ent in the periorbital region after Mohs surgery. These patients have a serious prognosis associated with subsequent morbidity. Accurate com munication between the Mohs surgeon and subsequent treating surgeons, combined with aggressive tumor management, may help to minimize morbid ity and improve mortality.