Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin with pruritus ani of long duration.
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.
Handa
Yoshihiro
Y
Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Watanabe
Osamu
O
Adachi
Ayumi
A
Yamanaka
Naoki
N
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