Cyanoacrylate glue as a novel skin substitute in periocular skin excisions: case series and literature review.

Objective: Despite the widespread use of cyanoacrylate glue (CA) as an alternative for wound closure, its potential as a sole skin substitute material in periocular skin surgery remains unexplored. The primary objective was to determine the viability of CA as a sole skin substitute in periocular skin surgery after excision.

Design: Single-centre retrospective observational case series.

Methods: All patients were treated at the McGill University Health Centre from August 2023 to November 2023, where CA served as the sole skin substitute material after periocular skin excision.

Results: Three female and one male patient, with a mean age of 75 years, received treatment with CA after skin excision for both cancerous and benign skin lesions. Specifically, histopathology revealed 2 cases of basal cell carcinoma, 1 case of squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and 2 benign lesions. The skin defects after excision ranged from 4 × 3 mm to 15 × 30 mm. No complications were observed between CA graft insertion and final skin re-epithelization. Complete re-epithelization was achieved in all patients at final follow-up without evidence of excessive skin contraction.

Conclusions: This study presents a novel approach by using CA as a skin substitute material in periocular skin excisions. Its liquid form allows for easy application and conforms well to irregular wound surfaces. CA may offer economic advantages, including lower material cost and shorter surgical operating times, compared with traditional skin substitutes. Further research is needed to comprehensively evaluate CA's role as a skin substitute in periocular skin reconstruction.