ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Marjolin's ulcer forms part of a group of neoplasms that originate in a burn scar, a phenomenon associated with superficial tissue trauma. The frequency of Marjolin's ulcer is low and represents between 2 and 5% of all squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. This condition is found three times more frequently in men than in women and is thought to be more aggressive than conventional squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. CLINICAL CASES: We present two cases of squamous cell carcinoma that originated on a burn scar. 41 year old woman with gasoline burn on the left foot, 3 months old, in whom an exofitic ulcerated lesion on the right calcaneum region has evolved since she was 32 years old. Left transtibial amputation was decided. Another woman who started its suffering 9 years after a thorax burn with a progressive fungus lesion on the scar area. For its size and as it was a high degree neoplasia, surgical resection and radiotherapy to the zone of the primary with 50 Gy in 25 fractions was decided. CONCLUSIONS: Marjolin's ulcer usually occurs in old burn sites that were not skin grafted and were left to heal secondarily. Although it is believed that there is a latency period of 25-40 years after burn injury before the occurrence of malignancy, this may occur in a period as short as 3 months. Recurrence after radical surgery is 14.7%. Nonetheless, because of the aggressive behavior of this type of cancer, appropriate radical treatment allows an adequate control of the disease. Early grafting of the burn site can prevent the formation a malignant neoplasm. This condition should be suspected in a non-healing chronic ulcer on a burn scar.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adult , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/etiology , Cicatrix/complications , Foot Diseases/etiology , Skin Neoplasms/etiology , Burns/complications , Skin Ulcer/etiology , Amputation, Surgical , Disease Progression , Back , Combined Modality Therapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/radiotherapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery , Cicatrix/pathology , Foot Diseases/pathology , Foot Diseases/radiotherapy , Foot Diseases/surgery , Schizophrenia, Paranoid/complications , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Skin Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Skin Neoplasms/surgery , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Time Factors , Foot Injuries/complications , Foot Injuries/surgery , Skin Ulcer/diagnosisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Breast fibromatosis (BF) is a rare benign pathological entity. Its etiology is unknown, but it has been associated with surgical trauma and certain genetic disorders. CLINICAL CASES: Case 1. The patient was a 17-year-old female with a 20 x 15 cm firm and fixed mass in the right breast. A core-needle biopsy was taken with a pathology report of a phyllodes tumor. Mammography revealed a well-differentiated lesion with no evidence of muscle invasion. The patient underwent wide surgical resection with thoracotomy and chest wall resection of the affected ribs. Pathology reported a 19 x 18 x 9 cm BF with a positive surgical margin. Oral colchicine was administered and at 3 months of follow-up the patient is disease free. CASE 2. The patient was a 49-year-old female with a 7 x 5 cm solid right breast mass located at the medial-upper quadrant and fixed to the pectoralis major muscle. Mammography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass infiltrating thoracic muscles. Wide surgical resection was performed with immediate latissimus dorsi reconstruction. Pathology report showed a BF with muscle invasion. At 3 months postsurgery, the patient is disease free. CONCLUSIONS: BF is a rare entity with a locally aggressive behavior. The infiltrative nature of this disease is associated with a tendency to recur locally. Its clinical and imaging features can mimic breast cancer. Differential diagnosis should be made before attempting treatment. The standard therapeutic modality is wide surgical resection, and radiotherapy is reserved for some cases with positive surgical margins.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Adolescent , Middle Aged , Fibroma/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Fibroma/surgery , Breast Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
Introducción: las hernias posincisionales representan por lo menos un tercio de las hernias de pared. Existen diferentes técnicas de reparación que incluyen el uso de material protésico, lo que ha contribuido a disminuir la recidiva. Sin embargo, ante el rechazo o infección se requieren otras técnicas con tejido autólogo, dado que el uso de material protésico en un ambiente contaminado está contraindicado, pues el riesgo de infección y recurrencia es inaceptablemente alto. Objetivo: comparar dos técnicas de tratamiento para las hernias de pared abdominal en términos de complicaciones posoperatorias y recidiva, para determinar las alternativas en el cierre de pared abdominal en pacientes con hernias ventrales. Material y métodos: se realizó estudio observacional, longitudinal, retrospectivo, de casos y controles pareados, no aleatorizado, en pacientes con hernia de pared, entre enero de 2000 y enero de 2004. Se estudiaron 30 pacientes divididos en dos grupos de 15 pacientes cada uno, pareados por sexo, edad y tipo de hernia: grupo A, pacientes tratados con malla; grupo B, pacientes tratados con técnica Clotteau-Prémont. El seguimiento posoperatorio fue de por lo menos cinco meses. Se evaluó y comparó el índice de complicaciones y recidivas. Resultados: no hubo diferencia entre ambos grupos en complicaciones o recidiva (p < 0.05). El tiempo de seguimiento promedio fue de 18.9 ± 8 meses para el grupo A y de 15 ± 7.9 meses para el grupo B. Conclusiones: la técnica de Clotteau-Prémont es un procedimiento factible y seguro en pacientes seleccionados.
BACKGROUND: Incisional hernias account for at least a third of abdominal wall hernias. There are different techniques of repair that include the use of prosthetic materials, which has lowered the hernia recurrence rate. Nonetheless, its use in case of rejection or infection requires other techniques with local tissue. The use of prosthetic material in a contaminated environment is contraindicated because the risk of infection and recurrence rate is unacceptably high. METHODS: In order to compare two repair techniques for abdominal wall hernias in terms of complications and recurrence to be used as an alternative for hernia repair in patients with abdominal wall hernias, we conducted, between January 2000 and January 2004, an observational, longitudinal, retrospective, non-randomized matched control case study in patients with abdominal wall hernia. A total of 30 patients were studied and were divided into two groups of 15 patients each. Subjects were matched for sex, age and hernia type (group A, mesh treated and group B, Clotteau-Prémont treated) who had at least a 5-month postoperative follow-up. Complication and recurrence rate was assessed and compared. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in complications or recurrence (p <0.05). The average follow-up time was 18.9 +/- 8 months for group A and 15 +/- 7.9 months for group B. CONCLUSIONS: Clotteau-Prémont's technique is a safe and feasible alternative procedure with indications in selected patients.