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Review of MART-1 on Frozen Sections - Technique and Interpretation

Contestable JJ, Lim GFS, Willenbrink T, et al.
Dermatologic Surgery (2024)

JC: December 2024

This review examined the technique and interpretation of MART-1 immunostaining on frozen sections during Mohs surgery for melanoma. The paper provided practical guidance on staining protocols, interpretation pitfalls, and clinical decision-making based on MART-1 staining patterns.

Take-Home Messages

  • •MART-1 staining on frozen sections is essential for accurate margin assessment during Mohs surgery for melanoma.
  • •Familiarity with MART-1 staining artifacts and interpretation challenges is critical to avoid both false-positive and false-negative margin assessments.

Topic

Margin Assessment & IHC

Frozen section interpretation, MART-1, immunohistochemistry stains

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Mohs Technique

Abstract

Mohs surgery for melanoma has been performed for many decades, but advances in the use of immunohistochemistry with frozen sections during Mohs surgery have allowed for more accurate, reliable, and efficient margin assessment with improved local control of the disease. To describe the use of MART-1 in treating melanoma with Mohs surgery and serve as a primer for the Mohs surgeon adding melanoma cases to their repertoire. Review of the literature and discussion of experience with Mohs for mela...

Literature review only. This summary is an editorial interpretation and may not reflect the complete findings of the original publication. Always refer to the full-text article for clinical decision-making.