A rare case of marjolin’s ulcer with a short latent period

Marjolin’s ulcers (MU) are rare malignancies arising from chronically inflammed, or scarred skin especially in burn wounds. Persistence of burn ulcer, induration or elevation of margin of such ulcer, ulceration or nodule formation over a burn scar may indicate malignant transformation. The commonest malignancy arising in MU is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Common clinical presentation is flat indurated ulcer and less frequent presentation is exophytic papillary growth. Diagnosis is made by tissue biopsy from multiple sites including the margins of the lesion. These tumors are aggressive and have poor prognosis. Here we report a case of MU in a 45 year female, who presented with non healing ulcer in a neglected burn wound after short latent period i.e. within six months of burn injury and biopsy taken from multiple sites from the ulcer showed a well differentiated SCC. Wide surgical excision was advised, but the patient lost to follow up.