Clinical application of dynamic telepathology in Mohs surgery.

BACKGROUND Telepathology is an expanding technology in multiple fields for remote pathology diagnosis and consultation. The use of telepathology in Mohs surgery has been very limited. OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical experience of using a telepathology system for intraoperative consultations on difficult frozen sections during Mohs surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Intraoperative consultation with a dermatopathologist was obtained using a dynamic telepathology system for all questions arising on frozen sections during Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers during a 2-year period. RESULTS The most common reason for consultation was to distinguish basal cell carcinoma from a benign histologic simulant on Mohs frozen sections. Other uses included determining tumor histology and distinguishing inflammation from residual tumor. CONCLUSION Dynamic telepathology is a useful and convenient adjunct in the Mohs surgery practice for intraoperative consultations on difficult frozen sections.