title: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin with pruritus ani of long duration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anal margin is an unusual location for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). On rare occasions, anal margin carcinoma is the cause of pruritus ani.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a case of SCC of the anal margin with pruritus ani of long duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 52-year-old man had been aware of perianal itching for over 10 years. Examination of the perianal area revealed a reddish, eroded, hard nodule that was 2.0 x 1.5 x 0.3 cm in size located in the 3 o'clock position. The histopathologic diagnosis was well-differentiated SCC. The nodule was totally excised with a 1-cm margin. No recurrence or metastases were observed for 7 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When pruritus ani does not respond to conservative therapy and when symptoms have existed for a long time, we should suspect the presence of malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
mesh_terms: D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011538:Pruritus Ani / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome