Mohs surgery for squamous cell in ear - extremely dry skin afterwards.

Larry449
Larry449 Member Posts: 53 Member
in Skin Cancer #1

I’ve had several (4) squamous cell skin cancers removed over the past +/-20 years. The most recent was in my left ear so it required Mohs and subsequent small skin graft. Surgery went well, margins clear on the first pass. Stitches for donor site and bolster were removed in one week. Roughly 3 weeks of twice daily cleaning and covering. Follow up with the surgeon one month after the surgery, the surgeon said the graft had healed and I could go about my normal routine. When she said I was good to go, I asked her about the bad itching, not directly at the site of the procedure but around the rest of my ear - lobe, up the helix and anti helix and behind. I asked her if I could use something like cortisone 10 but she was adamant about not using creams. She suggested taking “extra strength” ibuprofen and if it was still bothering me to call her on Monday (this was on Thursday, so 4 days.) now, on Sunday, the itching while still there, is not quite as bad but my entire ear is bone dry and scaly looking! I don’t believe everything Dr. Google says, but it looks like pictures I’m finding of generalized exfoliative dermatitis. I’m just a bit worried about it. I’m definitely going to call her in the morning but in the meantime - my imagination is running rampant!
(OTC extra strength ibuprofen doesn’t exist so I’ve been taking two caps of 200mg 3 times a day)

Comments

  • Michele30
    Michele30 Member Posts: 12 Member
    #2

    I hope that you are getting relief from the itching. I had an allergic reaction to the Moh’s surgery on my arm and had itchy rash for six weeks- it was almost worse than the healing process. It turns out I was allergic to iodine. I had the Moh’s surgeon use something different on my last Moh’s surgery and didn’t get the rash. The dermatologist gave me a strong prescription steroid cream for my arm. It didn’t do much but the itching/rash finally went away after six weeks. Good Luck!

  • Larry449
    Larry449 Member Posts: 53 Member
    #3
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1720510#Comment_1720510

    You absolutely might be on to something. When I called the surgeon in the morning, she didn’t get back to me that day so I called my dermatologist who asked if I could send a photo, so I did. She called the next morning with a prescription for desonide cream with instructions to use it twice a day. The dry scaly condition started clearing up almost immediately. Now, a week(?) later, it looks much better except for one small area but it still itches, but not nearly as bad. Now here’s why I started with “you might be onto something”. In 1988 I learned very suddenly that I am allergic to IVP Dye (iodinated contrast) when I had an anaphylactic reaction while being scanned for kidney stones. Also there’s a good possibility that I’m allergic to shell fish. So tomorrow morning I’ll be calling the surgeon’s office to ask if they did use iodine during the procedure. Thanx for the suggestion.
    an after thought; this is the picture I sent my dermatologist.

    IMG_3554.jpeg
  • Michele30
    Michele30 Member Posts: 12 Member
    #4
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1720542#Comment_1720542

    I’m glad that you got some cream that is helping. Hopefully you will find out what caused it. I had a second surgery that I got an itchy rash for six weeks on my abdomen after the Moh’s rash too, and that doctor thought I was allergic to the iodine, and she was right. Good luck!

Discussion Boards