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Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis Analysis of Marjolin’s Ulcer in 40 Cases

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Summary

Marjolin’s ulcer (MU) is a rare but aggressive epidermoid carcinoma observed in scars or wounds. This article provides comprehensive characteristics and prognostic details of MU. Clinical data of 40 patients with MU between January 2010 and December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common pathological type (35/40, 87.5%). Extended resection was performed to treat all cases with skin grafting or flap grafting. Follow-up duration ranged from 6 to 96 months (median, 52 months) and recurrence was noted in 9 cases. The 1-, 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 87.2%, 87.2%, 83.2% respectively and the recurrence rate was 22.5%. Univariate analysis revealed that cause of scars (P=0.044), lesion appearance (P=0.036), ultraviolet radiation exposure (P=0.000), depth (P=0.001) and histological grade (P=0.027) had a statistically significant correlation with prognosis of MU. Multivariate analysis revealed that depth (P=0.034, RR=2.681, 95%CI: 1.077–6.674) and histological grade (P=0.008, RR=2.820, 95%CI: 1.315–6.050) were independent prognostic factors for RFS. In conclusion, superficial infiltration and high-grade differentiation predict more favorable prognosis. Careful follow-up of high-risk groups is strongly recommended to prevent recurrence and improve prognosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China

    Bi-wei Guo, Meng Tian, Jie-cong Wang & Xiao-dan Li

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Jining No.1 People’s Hospital, Jining, 272000, China

    Teng Pan

  3. The Ninth Department of Plastic Surgery, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100144, China

    Hong-bo Chen & Li Zhu

Authors
  1. Bi-wei Guo
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  2. Teng Pan
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  3. Hong-bo Chen
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  4. Li Zhu
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  5. Meng Tian
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  6. Jie-cong Wang
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  7. Xiao-dan Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jie-cong Wang or Xiao-dan Li.

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Guo, Bw., Pan, T., Chen, Hb. et al. Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis Analysis of Marjolin’s Ulcer in 40 Cases. CURR MED SCI 38, 1038–1044 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-018-1981-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-018-1981-3

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