Marjolin ulcer of the scalp: intruder of a burn scar

Abstract

Childhood burn accidents are still a problem all over the world. Besides the contractures and hypertrophic scar conditions, malignant transformation in the burn scar is one of the primary concerns later in adulthood. Marjolin ulcer, commonly seen after burn scar, is a neoplastic change in the scar tissue. The scalp region necessitates additional attention because of the inevitable structures it protects. The long-standing ulcers with malignant transformation may cause invasion of different layers of the scalp. As the cranium is invaded, reconstruction after wide excision of these tumors becomes more difficult to deal with. Scalp invasion of Marjolin ulcers with different levels is presented in the following study. Consistent with the literature, histopathology of the tumors was squamous cell carcinoma in most patients. Although rare, mesenchymal tumor is involved in 2 of 9 patients. The latent period of the tumor is inversely proportional to the age at the time of burn injury. As the patient is younger at the time of injury, the occurrence of the ulcer is longer than expected. Lag period as long as 81 years is detected in the study. The delayed diagnosis due to social considerations such as financial limitations increases the likelihood of cranial invasion. A single huge scalp flap is often sufficient for soft tissue defects, and cranioplasty with methyl methacrylate is an appropriate option for reconstruction.