DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2017.v05i05.010

Pages: 372-374

It is well known fact that, it is from a precursor lesion that a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) can arise. Those arising out of a non-healing ulcer are rare especially so in a very short period of time. SCC is also known to arise from chronic wounds, old scars but can also arise from normal skin. This is by far the most common type of histologically malignant skin tumor. A 45years old male got injured by the silencer burn of a bike 6 months ago. He developed a blister which later ulcerated on his right heel pad. The ulcer was non-healing and he suffered a second injury 3 months later and sustained a fracture of the calcaneum on the same side, which was managed conservatively. The ulcer failed to heal and the underlying calcaneum got subsequently infected. From clinical grounds what appeared to be an infective osteomyelitis of calcaneum turned out to be a SCC. A high degree of suspicion is needed to suspect SCC in these instances and mandatorily send tissue sample for HPE evaluation, otherwise there is a high chance of misdiagnosis and by the time it is detected, it would have widely metastasized.