Giant squamous cell carcinomas of the shoulder

Abstract

Giant squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) larger than 5 cm in diameter are uncommon; there is no guideline on the size of an SCC that is considered giant. Treatment may be difficult with the need for large tissue resections and complex surgical reconstruction. We report a rare case of giant squamous cell carcinoma of the shoulder attached to deep anatomic planes. The entire mass was removed, resulting in a large defect that was repaired with myocutaneous flap rotation of the latissimus dors. Three courses of radiotherapy were performed after surgery. Fifteen months after the operation, the patient is well and working without any local recurrence and metastasis.

Keywords

• squamous cell carcinomas
• giant
• shoulder
• resection
• reconstruction