Mohs wounds of the forehead: healing by secondary intention.

Accurate prediction of the course of wound healing allows patients with Mohs surgical wounds on the face to be objectively selected either for surgical repair or for spontaneous healing. Parameters affecting wound healing--location, depth and size of wound--were documented at intervals for 135 patients who had full-thickness defects in the forehead after Mohs surgery, which were left to heal by secondary intention. Quality of cosmesis was determined at least four months after surgery. Final cosmetic result was predictable on the basis of wound location, size and depth. Allowing selected Mohs surgical wounds to heal spontaneously offers optimal cancer surveillance, simplified wound care and elimination of reconstructive procedures along with their associated costs and potential complications.