Comparing disciplines: Outcomes of non melanoma cutaneous malignant lesions in oral and maxillofacial surgery and dermatology

300 cases of non-melanoma cutaneous lesion procedures carried out by the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dermatology departments in a North West London hospital over a 6 month period between September 2011 and February 2012 were included in a retrospective case control study. The results from each speciality were compared. The mean age of the OMFS group was 75.8 years compared to 69.9 years in the dermatology group. There was no statistically significant difference in gender between the 2 groups. The OMFS group treated a higher proportion of atypical (17%) and malignant (64.9%) cases compared to the dermatology group (11.3% and 50.5% respectively). This could also account for the fact that the OMFS group carried out a higher number of full excisions compared to dermatology. Both groups had a similar number of false positives (a benign lesion initially diagnosed as malignant) and a similar proportion of false negatives (a malignant lesion initially diagnosed as benign).Overall, the results show that both specialities had similar outcomes when managing non-melanoma cutaneous lesions. Both groups adhere to the guidelines set out by the British Association of Dermatologists and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence when managing such lesions.