Chronic complications

Abstract

Incomplete treatment may not show up for 1-2 years and may be in the center of the lesion or at the periphery. Pigmentary changes are the most common chronic changes seen after freezing especially after more than 15-20 s of freeze time. A cancerdial dose of freezing of 60 s often repeated for a second time will almost always result in some pigment loss. The darker skinned patients show the most change in pigmentation. Fortunately Fitzpatrick Types I and II skin types show the least pigment change and have the most skin cancer. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, an infrequent occurrence most often seen 3-6 weeks after the eschar sheds, may mimick a recurrence. A neuropathy may be occasionally noted after freezing a tumor overlying a superficial nerve. Alopecia is expected if freezing a skin cancer on the scalp. Many seborrheic keratoses, however, may be treated resulting in little or no hair loss. Scar formation is usually noted more after longer freeze times, but in certain locations hypertrophic scarring may be noted especially on the chest and back and atrophic scarring on the forehead and temple.