A novel 2-hour method for rapid preparation of permanent paraffin sections when treating melanoma in situ with mohs micrographic surgery.

Background: Distinguishing sun-induced melanocyte atypia from residual melanoma in situ (MIS) can be challenging, particularly when working with frozen sections. Immunostains such as melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells (MART-1) can assist, but paraffin sections provide an optimal means of analyzing melanocyte morphology.

Objective: To verify the effectiveness of a 2-hour paraffin processing technique that uses microwave technology in the preparation of MIS sections.