J Wound Manag Res.  2019 Sep;15(2):109-112. 10.22467/jwmr.2019.00710.

Subcutaneous Heterotopic Ossification Suspected as Skin Cancer

• Ki SH
• Sim SH
• Ma SH

• KMID: 2465853
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22467/jwmr.2019.00710

Abstract

Skin ulcerations on old scars such as post-burn scar contractures are often suspected to be skin cancer. A 68-year-old woman with a 2-year-old skin ulceration, 1 cm in diameter, on her right anterior thigh, was initially suspected to be have Marjolin's ulcer. The patient had burnt her legs and trunk 50 years ago and had undergone hip joint arthroplasty 10 years previously. We suspected Marjolin's ulcer and performed a biopsy for diagnosis in an outpatient clinic. However, the histopathology indicated chronic inflammation. As routine X-rays revealed linear calcifications of the subcutaneous layer of the anterior thigh, we removed the area of calcification, including the skin ulceration. The surgical wound healed without complication. While heterotopic ossification is usually found in muscle layers around large joints, or in muscle layers subjected to trauma or surgery, its cause is unclear. We report a rare case of skin ulceration caused by subcutaneous tissue heterotopic ossification, which was initially mistaken as skin cancer, and ultimately treated with surgical resection.

Keyword

Skin neoplasm; Ossification, heterotopic; Burn; Subcutaneous tissue

MeSH Terms

Aged
Ambulatory Care Facilities
Arthroplasty
Biopsy
Burns
Child, Preschool
Cicatrix
Contracture
Diagnosis
Female
Hip Joint
Humans
Inflammation
Joints
Leg
Ossification, Heterotopic*
Skin Neoplasms*
Skin Ulcer
Skin*
Subcutaneous Tissue
Thigh
Ulcer
Wounds and Injuries