Cutaneous Cryosurgery in Dermatology - Evolving Principles and Clinical Applications for Benign, Premalignant, and Malignant Lesions

Sep 23, 2026

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Skin and subcutaneous diseases create a major public health burden, affecting quality of life, social functioning, mental health, and daily activities on a global scale. Cryosurgery, enabled by modern cryogenics, is used by healthcare professionals as a therapy for a wide range of conditions, either alone or as adjunct treatment. Over recent decades it has gained advantages in safety, efficiency, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. An up-to-date review of cryosurgery applications is limited, prompting this review to summarize principles and current dermatology practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Public health burden of skin diseases

Psychological impact and stress mechanisms

Cryosurgery in dermatology (overview)

Principles and therapeutic role

Current clinical applications

doi: 10.21873/invivo.13865 Review Cutaneous Cryosurgery in Dermatology: Evolving Principles and Clinical Applications for Benign, Premalignant, and Malignant Lesions RAMIA MOKBEL1, ALEVTINA KODRESKO2, KEFAH MOKBEL3, HEBA GHAZAL4, JON TREMBLEY5 and HUSSAM JOUHARA2,6 1The Princess Grace Hospital, Part of HCA Healthcare UK, London, U. K.; 2 Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University, London, U. K.; 3The London Breast Institute, Princess Grace Hospital, London, U. K.; 4School of Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Kingston Upon Thames, U. K.; 5Air Products PLC, Hersham Place Technology Park, Surrey, U. K.; 6Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Kaunas, Lithuania Abstract Skin and subcutaneous diseases represent a significant public health burden, profoundly impacting quality of life, social interactions, mental health, and daily activities–raising concerns worldwide. In modern cryogenics, cryosurgery is among the therapeutic approaches employed by healthcare professionals to address this broad and complex range of diseases. Over the past four decades, cryosurgery has evolved into a valuable treatment option, used alone or asan adjunct therapy, and is adaptable to the needs of various special populations. This approach offers distinct advantages over established treatments due to its safety, efficiency, feasibility, and cost‑effectiveness. However, a comprehensive, up‑to‑date review ofcryosurgery’s applications is lacking, which limits research dissemination and recognition among dermatologists. This review aims to provide an overview ofcryosurgery principles and its current clinical practice in dermatology, covering a broad range of benign, premalignant, and malignant cutaneous conditions, and highlighting its potential as an essential approach in global healthcare. Keywords: Cryoablation, cryogenics, cryosurgery, cryotherapy, dermatology, liquid nitrogen, skin diseases, skin lesions, treatment, review. ✉ Hussam Jouhara, Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University, London, U.K. Tel: +44 1895267805, e‑[mail: hussam.jouhara@brunel.ac.uk](mail: hussam.jouhara@brunel.ac.uk) Received December 28, 2024 | Revised January 11, 2025 | Accepted January 13, 2025 This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ©2025 The Author(s) . Anticancer Research is published by the International Institute of Anticancer Research. Introduction Skin and subcutaneous diseases represent a significant public health burden worldwide, with prevalence rising continuously–most notably by 47% between 1990 and 2017 (1). According to data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, skin diseases rank as the 18th leading cause of disability‑adjusted life years (DALYs) and the 4th leading cause of disability globally. Excluding mortality, the years lived with disability (YLDs) from skin diseases exceed those caused by diabetes mellitus (36.4 million vs. 29.5 million). Research consistently highlights the profound impact of these conditions on quality of life, social interactions, mental health, and daily activities (2). A recent study by Kanji (3) on common chronic dermatological conditions–such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, vitiligo, seborrhoeic dermatitis, and skin allergy–identified key aspects of daily life affected, with stress levels and mood being the most frequently impacted, as shown in Figure 1. These findings reinforce substantial research linking the onset or worsening of various skin diseases to stress, which severely impacts patients’ psychological and physical well‑being. Stress is considered a major factor in up to 85% of dermatological patients, influencing both the incidence and progression of s

FAQs

What is cryosurgery used for in dermatology?

Cryosurgery is used to treat a broad range of benign, premalignant, and malignant cutaneous conditions, either as a standalone therapy or an adjunct to other treatments.

What advantages are associated with cryosurgery?

Cryosurgery is described as offering distinct advantages for dermatologic care, including safety, efficiency, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Why does the review emphasize the need for up-to-date information?

A comprehensive, current review of cryosurgery applications is reported to be lacking, which limits research dissemination and recognition among dermatologists.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra