Non-melanoma keratinocyte carcinomas are on the rise, with around 156,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United Kingdom.1 Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most predominant form encountered.2 In recent years, Mohs micrographic surgery has gained popularity for the treatment of BCC due to the rapid result turnaround, improved surgical results and preservation of healthy tissue.3
The Mohs technique employs mainly haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained frozen sections for surgical margin assessment of cutaneous excisions, utilising microscopic evaluation of the complete, circumferential, peripheral and deep margins.
This study aimed to determine which mordant-based haematoxylin (Ehrlich, Cole, Mayer, Gill I, Gill II, Gill III, Weigert, Harris or Carazzi) produced the optimal morphological clarity of staining for the identification of cellular morphology of cutaneous BCC.
Sample cohort<