Malignancy in chronic leg ulcers.
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.
Yang
D
D
Fremantle Hospital, WA. dmulcahy@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
Morrison
B D
BD
Vandongen
Y K
YK
Singh
A
A
Stacey
M C
MC
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