Malignant transformation of a chronic venous stasis ulcer to basal cell carcinoma in a diabetic patient: case study and review of the pathophysiology.

The degeneration of chronic wounds into basal cell carcinoma is rare. We present an atypical case of basal cell carcinoma diagnosed by soft tissue biopsy in a long-standing wound that had been treated for 3 years as a chronic venous stasis ulcer. In addition to the case report, we review the biomedical literature describing malignant transformation of long-standing wounds. Foot and ankle specialists should be on the lookout for changes that signal malignant transformation in long-standing ulcers.

Unusual infection in the foot of a barefoot gardener.

We report a case of an unusual and unsuspected chronic infection creating a soft-tissue mass in the foot of a 35-year-old woman. The causative agent, Mycobacterium gordonae, is usually encountered as a laboratory contaminant. Only rarely does it manifest as a clinical infection. The patient's presumed predisposing risk factor was a history of barefoot gardening. An iatrogenic source, corticosteroid injections, was also considered.