Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Setting of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Retrospective Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background. Marjolin ulcer is an SCC arising from chronic inflammatory tissue. Such ulcers pose a high risk for metastasis; the 5-year survival rate of 40% to 69% suggests that improvement is possible with early diagnosis. Objective. To raise awareness and update education in the medical community regarding this manifestation of SCC. Methods. The authors performed a retrospective literature review specifically for SCC arising in the context of HS. A PubMed search yielded 81 articles reporting SCC in the context of HS from 1958 to November 2022, with a total of 123 cases. The authors’ additional patient, who was treated in practice, is included as Case 1, bringing the total number of patients to 124. Results. Seventy-three percent of patients were male. The mean age at the time of SCC diagnosis was 53 years ± 10.25 standard deviation. The mean interval between HS diagnosis and SCC development was 24.4 years ± 11.33. Thirty-six percent of patients had metastatic disease. Of the 102 cases that included details on life and death, 58 were noted to have died; of those 58, 60% died within the first year following diagnosis. Conclusion. Given the poor prognosis of Marjolin ulcer, with rapid progression after diagnosis, frequent visual examination and biopsies with a high index of suspicion for HS are recommended to identify SCC prior to metastatic transformation and subsequent unresectable disease. If surgical intervention is performed in the management of HS, tissue should always be sent for pathologic examination.