MARJOLIN ULCER

Course overview

A MARJOLIN ULCER IS A CUTANEOUS MALIGNANCY THAT ARISES IN THE SETTING OF PREVIOUSLY INJURED SKIN, LONGSTANDING SCARS, AND CHRONIC WOUNDS. HISTORICALLY, MARJOLIN ULCERS ARE NAMED FOR FRENCH SURGEON JEAN NICOLAS MARJOLIN AND FIRST DESCRIBED AS ULCERATIONS WITH DENSE VILLI ARISING WITHIN A BURN CICATRIX. SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IS THE MOST FREQUENT MALIGNANCY IDENTIFIED, ALTHOUGH OTHER CELL TYPES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED (I.E., BASAL CELL CARCINOMA). LESIONS ARE AGGRESSIVE AND CARRY A POOR PROGNOSIS WITH A HIGH RATE OF RECURRENCE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF MARJOLIN ULCER AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.