title: Malignancy in chronic leg ulcers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the frequency of malignant ulcers in patients presenting with leg ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive study from data collected between July 1988 and June 1995 from 981 patients (2448 ulcers) attending a leg ulcer clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A specialised leg ulcer clinic at a tertiary teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  43 patients with 55 malignant skin lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue biopsies in ulcerated lesions that suggested malignancy or were not responding to appropriate treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three patients were found to have malignant lesions on the legs, giving a frequency of malignant ulcers of 4.4 per 100 leg ulcer patients, or 2.2 per 100 leg ulcers. Seventy-five per cent of the malignant ulcers were basal cell carcinoma and 25% were squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malignant skin changes are common in chronic leg ulcers. A biopsy should be taken from all suspicious ulcers or ulcers that do not respond to appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Fremantle Hospital, WA. dmulcahy@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Vandongen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Stacey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology