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Venous leg ulcers and squamous cell carcinoma: a large-scale epidemiological study
B Baldursson1, B Sigurgeirsson, B Lindelöf
1Department of Dermatology, Gävle Hospital, Sweden.
The British Journal of Dermatology
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a complication of chronic venous leg ulcers. This study found a relative risk of 5.80 for SCC in patients with leg ulcers, though the absolute risk remains very small.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Venous leg ulcers are chronic wounds with potential complications.
- The risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in these ulcers is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To precisely estimate the relative risk of SCC in patients with venous leg ulcers.
- To investigate the association between chronic venous leg ulcers and SCC development.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 10,913 patients with venous leg ulcers was identified from the Swedish Inpatient Registry.
- Cases of SCC of the lower limb were matched using the Swedish Cancer Registry.
- Pathology and case records were scrutinized to confirm SCC secondary to ulcers.
Main Results:
- 17 cases of SCC were confirmed as secondary to venous leg ulcers.
- The relative risk of SCC in venous leg ulcers was calculated as 5.80 (95% CI: 3.08-9.29).
- The median duration of ulceration prior to SCC diagnosis was 25 years.
Conclusions:
- Squamous cell carcinoma is a complication of chronic venous leg ulcers.
- While the relative risk is elevated, the absolute risk of SCC in venous leg ulcers is very small.