Surgical management of Marjolin’s ulcer secondary to chronic burn scar: a case report

Abstract

Marjolin’s ulcer is a rare malignancy originating from chronically injured skin with a prolonged latency period. We report a 71-year-old male with a 34-year history of a chronic burn scar ulcer in the left popliteal fossa that underwent malignant transformation. Histopathology confirmed moderately-to-well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. His comorbidities included stage 4 chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Following multidisciplinary assessment, wide local excision combined with punch skin grafting was performed. The grafts took well, and no recurrence was noted at short-term follow-up. Chronic post-burn scar ulcers require long-term surveillance, early biopsy, and individualized surgical planning, especially in patients with multiple comorbidities.