Cryotherapy - indications and technique
First described in the 1800s cryotherapy became an effective alternative to invasive surgical techniques. It has a number of indications for both malignant and benign lesions: keratosis, verruca, skin tags, solar lentigo and hypertrophic/keloid scars (benign), basal cell carcinoma, and non invasive squamous cell carcinoma (pre-malignant and malignant). Histologic, clinical or dermatoscopic diagnosis has to be clarified before considering this type of treatment. There are several different cryogens described (nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas), however the most common by far is liquid nitrogen. Benign lesions are treated with a single cycle at -25 C for keratinocytic tumors and -5 C for pigmented lesions. Malignant lesions require 2 cycles and a target temperature of -50 C. Read the details here.
