OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with Marjolin's ulcers.

METHODSThe clinical materials of 21 patients with Marjolin's ulcers hospitalized from January 2007 to January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, including age, gender, injury causes, duration time of primary disease in developing Marjolin's ulcer, duration of ulcer, lesion site, ulcer area, symptoms and signs of ulcer region, bacterial culture results before operation, histopathological type, grade of carcinoma cell differentiation, depth of invasion, treatment, and outcome.

RESULTS(1) The age of 21 patients at the time of diagnosis of Marjolin's ulcers was 19-74 (47 ± 13) years, and the ratio of male to female was nearly 0.9:1.0. (2) The main primary lesions were flame burns and high temperature liquid scald, respectively occurred in 12 cases (57.1%) and 7 cases (33.3%). The time for development of Marjolin's ulcers from primary injury was 10-56 (40 ± 14) years. (3) Ulceration on top of scar lasted for longer than one year in 12 patients (57.1%). (4) Lesion site was mainly located in the limbs in 13 patients (61.9%), and on head and face in 6 patients (28.6%), respectively. (5) Ulcer area ranged 0.25-74.25 (39 ± 25) cm(2). Foul excretion, bleeding, intensified pain, and gradual enlargement of ulceration were observed in the lesion of most patients. (6) Bacterial culture of wound excretion before operation showed positive results in 16 patients (76.2%).

RESULTSof bacterial culture of blood were negative in all patients. (7) Pathological examination revealed squamous cell carcinoma in 20 cases and basal cell carcinoma in 1 case, and mostly of high or medium differentiation. Cancer cells in nearly 40% patients had invaded the subcutaneous tissue or deeper area. (8) All patients were treated by surgery, among them autologous skin grafting was done after excision of lesion in 11 patients, and in 5 patients the defects were closed with skin flaps after excision of lesion, and in 5 patients limbs harboring the lesion were amputated. Twelve patients (57.1%) received postoperative rehabilitation treatment. Two patients with pulmonary metastasis received chemotherapy. (9) Most of the flaps and skin grafts survived well after surgery, and a few cases with failure of skin grafting or transplantation of flaps underwent skin grafts again. Patients were followed up for 6 months to 5 years, in 4 patients recurrence occurred after surgery, and 2 of them died. The other patients survived without recurrence.

CONCLUSIONSSquamous cell carcinoma was the most common pathological type of Marjolin's ulcer admitted to our unit. A recurrent ulcer with long course should be considered as Marjolin's ulcer, and it should be scrutinized pathologically. Currently, surgery remains the optimal treatment for Marjolin's ulcer. Regular follow-up should be carried out after resection of the lesion to detect carcinoma recurrence and metastasis.

Burns ; complications ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Neoplasms ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Skin Transplantation ; Skin Ulcer ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic value of the changes in serum CK and its isozymes in the muscular infection and necrosis in electrical injured patients.

METHODSSeventeen patients were divided into A and B groups according to the causes, i.e. electrical injury as A and electrical arc flame burn as B groups. Obvious muscle necrosis was identified in A but not in B groups. The serum CK-MM concentration was determined after injury, before and after the operations. Simultaneously, the blood and urine routine, the hepatic and renal function and wound bacterial counting were determined and compared with those in 20 healthy people.

RESULTS1. The serum CK-MM in A group increased evidently after injury and 1 day after wound debridement to the 6 times that in normal control. The enzyme decreased to normal at 3 post-operative days in 15 cases and remained at relative high level in 2 cases due to the wound infection and lowered down to normal level after wound re-debridement. 2. The serum CK-MM in B group increased slightly before and after skin grafting.

CONCLUSIONCK-MM could be employed as the index for the infection and necrosis of the muscle in electrical injured patients due to its high specificity and sensitivity.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burns, Electric ; blood ; enzymology ; Creatine Kinase ; blood ; Electric Injuries ; blood ; enzymology ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin Transplantation