Abstract
The degeneration of chronic wounds into basal cell carcinoma is rare. We present an
atypical case of basal cell carcinoma diagnosed by soft tissue biopsy in a long-standing
wound that had been treated for 3 years as a chronic venous stasis ulcer. In addition
to the case report, we review the biomedical literature describing malignant transformation
of long-standing wounds. Foot and ankle specialists should be on the lookout for changes
that signal malignant transformation in long-standing ulcers.
Level of Clinical Evidence
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to The Journal of Foot and Ankle SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
Fitzpatrick TB, Johnson RA, Polano MK, Suurmond D, Wolff K, eds. Basal Cell Carcinoma. In Color Atlas and Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology: Common and Serious Diseases, ed 2, pp. 690–695, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1983.
- Atypical presentation of metastatic basal cell carcinoma.Southern Med J. 2004; 97: 305-307
- Incidence of non-melanocytic skin cancer treated in Australia.Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1988; 296: 13-17
- Nonhealing leg ulcers: a manifestation of basal cell carcinoma.J Am Acad Dermatol. 1991; 25: 47-49
- Squamous cell carcinoma: an unusual early complication of postoperative osteomyelitis.J Foot Ankle Surg. 1994; 33 (Erratum in J Foot Ankle Surg 33(3):323, 1994): 21-27
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed.J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 1995; 85: 547-549
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the hallux.J Foot Surg. 1982; 21: 61-64
- Transformation of plantar verruca into squamous cell carcinoma.J Foot Surg. 1992; 31: 611-614
- Wounds and malignancy.Adv Skin Wound Care. 2003; 16: 31-34
- Squamous cell carcinoma arising in osteomyelitis and chronic wounds. Treatment with Mohs micrographic surgery vs amputation.Dermatol Surg. 1996; 22: 1015-1018
- Malignant skin lesions on the legs and feet at a dermatological leg ulcer clinic during five years.Acta Derm Venereol. 1998; 78: 147-148
- Malignant change in chronic varicose ulceration.Practitioner. 1975; 215: 335-339
- Scar tissue carcinoma. I. A clinical study with special reference to burn scar carcinoma.Ann Surg. 1965; 161: 170-188
- Melanoma arising in a chronic (Marjolin's) ulcer.J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995; 32: 1058-1059
- Skin cancer in black patients.Cancer. 1975; 35: 600-605
- Mast cells and cutaneous malignancies.Mod Pathol. 2006; 19: 149-159
- Leg ulcers that do not heal.Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1983; 286: 207-208
- Analysis of the acute and chronic wound environment: the role of proteases and their inhibitors.Wound Rep Reg. 1999; 7: 442-452
- Ulcère.in: Adelon N.P. Dictionnaire de Médecine. Becher, Paris1828: 31-50
- The relation of chronic varicose ulcer to epithelioma: based on records of over 1,000 chronic leg ulcers.Ann Surg. 1932; 95: 754-758
- Venous leg ulcers and squamous cell carcinoma: a large-scale epidemiological study.Br J Dermatol. 1995; 133: 571-574
- Malignant transformation of leg ulcers: a retrospective study of 85 cases.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007; 21: 935-941
- Malignancy in chronic leg ulcers.Med J Aust. 1996; 164: 718-720
- Chronic leg ulcers: a manifestation of basal cell carcinoma. Surgical treatment.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2004; 18: 513-514
- Chronic venous stasis: not a predisposing factor for basal cell carcinoma on the leg. A histopathological study.Dermatology. 1994; 188: 91-93
- Image of the month: Marjolin ulcer.Arch Surg. 2006; 141: 1143-1144
- Marjolin's ulcer: MR appearance.Am J Roentgenol. 2006; 186: 819-820
- The angiodermatology group of the French Society of Dermatology malignant transformation of leg ulcers: a retrospective study of 85 cases.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2007; 21: 935-941
- Epidermoid carcinoma of the extremities with reference to lymph node involvement.Ann Surg. 1941; 113: 268-275
- MMP-2 assessment as an indicator of wound healing: A feasibility study.Adv Skin Wound Care. 2009; 19: 324-327
- What lies beneath? Assessment of leg ulcers during acute hospital admission.Age Ageing. 2008; 37: 117-118
Article info
Footnotes
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Conflict of Interest: None reported.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.