Linguine technique for excision of lentigo maligna and poorly defined non-melanotic skin cancer – A case series

Abstract

Accurately identifying the clinical margins of lesions such as lentigo maligna, lentigo maligna melanoma and other non-melanotic skin cancers can often be a clinical challenge. Irregular, poorly-defined peripheral margins accompanied by the presence of subclinical disease only detectable histologically can mean rates of incomplete excision are increased. We seek to highlight the use of the linguine technique for excision of lesions with poorly-defined peripheral margins. We describe in detail the step-by-step process for undertaking the technique, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages with a review of the related literature. We present three cases where the senior author has employed the linguine technique for the excision of lentigo maligna, lentigo maligna melanoma and extramammary Paget's disease.