Subcutaneous spreading squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a complex group of genetic disorders characterised by mechanical fragility in the basement membrane zone. Affected individuals experience significant morbidity and mortality, most commonly from cutaneous malignancies. In fact, 90.1% of EB patients develop Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) before the age of 55, 80% of whom die within 5 years of diagnosis. Furthermore, the management of cutaneous malignancies in EB is fraught with challenges given the atypical presentations of malignancies and the co-existence of systemic co-morbidities. To illustrate the common pearls and pitfalls of managing EB in the perioperative setting, we present a case of SCC of the left forefoot which spread through a natural plane of weakness in the dermal-epidermal junction as a complication of the congenital weakness in the area resulting from EB.