The authors report twelve cases of Marjolin's ulcer that have been diagnosed between 1990 and 2003 at HUCFF-UFRJ. Five females and seven males, aged 38 to 86 years old, formed the group. Evolution time from scar to squamous cell carcinoma onset ranged from 10 to 50 years. Amputation was performed in eight cases and in one of them radiation therapy was associated. Two patients underwent local excision. One patient who already had spinal metastasis was submitted to palliative local excision. Finally, one case had no therapeutic possibilities. Early biopsy was concluded to be essential in chronic ulcers, to establish the difference between squamous cell carcinoma and pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia
Carcinoma; Cicatrix; Ulcer
