title: Nodular melanoma in trophic ulceration of a leprosy patient: a case study.
abstract: Non-healing chronic trophic ulceration is very common in leprosy patients. Marjolin's ulcer consists of the malignant transformation of a chronic ulcerative lesion. Nodular melanoma developing from Marjolin's ulcer, caused by a trophic ulceration of a leprosy patient, is very rare with only a few cases reported in the literature. Due to the disguised presentation of these malignancies within trophic ulceration lesions in leprosy, neoplastic transformation is frequently overlooked, leading to misdiagnosed and delayed treatment. This paper reports a case of an 83-year-old man with lepromatous leprosy and chronic ulceration on the foot for 22 years. Over a period of 2 months, the ulcer enlarged, turned black, and became more painful. The patient underwent regional excision and immunotherapy after the diagnosis of malignant nodular melanoma. After 9 months follow-up, no metastasis was found.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There were no external sources of funding for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Dermatology Hospital, 1278 Bao De Road, Shanghai 200443, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Dermatology Hospital, 1278 Bao De Road, Shanghai 200443, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Dermatology Hospital, 1278 Bao De Road, Shanghai 200443, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Dermatology Hospital, 1278 Bao De Road, Shanghai 200443, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: leprosy; nodular melanoma; trophic ulceration