Destruction
“Warts, moles, small skin cancers, and other abnormal tissue can be destroyed using Cryosurgery, the process of using controlled freezing to get rid of unwanted tissue.”
A destruction in dermatological terms means the removal of benign, premalignant, or malignant tissues by various superficial methods, not usually requiring closure.
At Abrams Dermatology, our methods of destruction include electrosurgery, cryosurgery, and chemical treatment. The types of lesions that are typically removed in this fashion include various warts, papillomata, molluscum contagiosum, and other benign, premalignant lesions such as actinic keratoses. Some malignant lesions such as basal cell carcinomas may also be destroyed in this fashion.
Cryosurgery involves the use of a canister that sprays liquid nitrogen directly onto the skin, or contacts the skin with an instrument, which freezes the tissue. Freezing can destroy pre-cancererous cells, and wound healing will occur with minimal scarring.
Electrosurgery is performed by using a hyfrecator to divide tissues by high frequency current applied directly to the affected area. Areas treated in this fashion do not require stitches.