Chronic Wound to Marjolin’s Ulcer: A Threatening Complication

Abstract

Awareness of the potential for an ulcer to become a Marjolin’s ulcer is important for chronic wound management. Here we describe four cases of chronic ulcers progressing to malignant transformation with four completely different scenario and injury pattern. First case was a 41 years old male who presented with 24 years old complete traumatic paraplegia with ulcer as fungating mass at outer inferior quadrant of left gluteal region. The second case was a 15 year old traumatic knee injury with open wound which resulted in insensate foot and chronic osteomyelitis with recurrent ulcer with transformation to malignant ulcer. Third case is again 12 years old recurrent wound due to crush injury and osteomyelitis in the involved lower limb and last 57 years old case is different from the others, developed chronic wound from a minor cut without any specific precipitating factor which finally resulted in to marjolin’s ulcer. All the cases highlight the progression of chronic ulcer in to marjolin’s ulcer which is a very rare but deadly complication of recurrent or non-healing type of ulcers.

Keywords

• cancer
• chronic wound
• marjolin’s ulcer
• pressure injury
• squamous cell carcinoma
• ulcer