Volume 2: Retrospective Analysis of Clinicopathological Characteristics of Surgically Treated Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Face—A Single-Centre Maxillofacial Surgery Experience

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common malignancy in Western countries and can lead to extensive tissue destruction, metastasis, and death. The study aimed to highlight the epidemiology, diagnostic patterns, histological variations, and prognostic significance of SCC of the facial skin region based on a single-center analysis. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed records of patients admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, UKSH-Kiel, for treatment of SCC of the head and face from January 2019 to February 2021. Data were collected via the ORBIS/management-diagnostic codes system (ORBIS-AG, Saarbrücken, Germany). It included information on TNM classification, tumor depth, growth type, tumor localization, and surgical techniques, which were extracted from histopathology and surgical reports. Results: A total of 560 patients were admitted for treatment of malignancies of the facial skin region. Sixty patients (10.7%) had SCCs, and their mean age was 80.64 years. A total of 68.3% of the patients were male. The most common histopathological growth type was verrucous: 36.7% (n = 22). No significant correlation was found between growth type and recurrence (p = 0.266) or metastasis (p = 0.091). However, the correlation between growth type and CT morphology was significant (p = 0.032), with radiologically suspicious lymph nodes most frequently associated with a verrucous growth type (36.4%, n = 8/22). The most common locations for SCC were the temporal region (25%, n = 15) and the cheek (15%, n = 9). The majority of SCC cases (32%) were classified as T1, with T4 being the least common (5%). The mean tumor depth for SCC was 4.67 mm (SD: 3.05). Tumor depth showed a significant correlation with TNM classification (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: This study emphasizes the significance of early detection, accurate advanced T-classifications, tumor depth, and high-risk growth types in predicting recurrence and metastasis in SCC. In this cohort, CT findings were associated with lymph node status and may provide useful information for the preoperative assessment of selected patients.