Clinical Observation on 16 Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Orthopedics

Squamous cell carcinoma has occasionally been encountered in orthopedic practice as a complication of chronic osteomyelitis, burn scar and other lesions. The possible occurrence of this secondary change impose difficulty in the diagnosis and management of chronic orthopedic diseases. During 11 years from 1966 to 1976, 16 cases of squamous cell carcinoma were confirmed by histopathological examination and the results of clinical observation on them are summarized here. l. Of 16 patients, men were 15 and woman one. Their average age was 51.3 years 2. The primary lesions in which this malignancy developed were osteomyelitis (5 cases), and scar (5 cases), and scar after extensive laceration (2 cases). In one case no primary lesion was present. 3. Average duration of symptomatology of the primary lesion was 35.4 years in osteomyelitis and 31.2 yeary in burnscar. 4. Location of the lesion was in lower extremity in 15 cases, eight of which were in the leg. 5. Methods of treatment undertaken were; amputation (10 cases), chemotherapy (2 cases), chemotherapy and irradation (1 case). In three no treatment was done because of refusal. 6. The follow-up study was possible in five of them. Of four cases amputated, one was well alive for two years after ablation with no evidence of metastasis, the others two showed spread, to inguinal nodes in one and ribs in the other, after two years and the fourth died of unknown disease after two years. The fifth died, after initial remission with chemotherpy and irradation, of lung cancer after two years.