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Marjolin's ulcers, which are epidermoid carcinomas arising on non-healing scar tissue, may be of various pathological types, including squamous cell carcinoma. The pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma arising in an ulcer differs from that of the primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This squamous cell carcinoma is aggressive in nature, and has a high rate of metastasis. Between January 2001 and September 2013, 51 patients with Marjolin's ulcers were admitted to the Departments of Plastic Surgery of the Affiliated Foshan Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The ulcers included 43 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, six of melanoma, one of basal cell carcinoma and one of epithelioid sarcoma. The clinical data of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were followed until mortality. Among the patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 30.23% exhibited sentinel lymph node metastasis and 11.63% had distant metastasis. Among the patients with melanoma, 66.67% had sentinel lymph node metastasis and 33.33% had distant metastasis. Sentinel lymph node metastasis was successfully detected in 11 patients with Marjolin's ulcer using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography and B-mode ultrasound guided biopsy. Squamous cell carcinoma was often treated by extended resection and skin grafting or skin flap repair. Patients with deep, aggressive squamous cell carcinoma of an extremity and sentinel lymph node metastasis underwent amputation and lymph node dissection. This treatment was also used for melanoma type Marjolin's ulcers.

The aim of this study was to explore the clinical value of the porcine acellular dermal xenograft (ADX) in combination with autologous split-thickness skin and pure autologous split-thickness skin grafting applied in deep full-thickness burns and scar wounds. A total of 30 patients with deep burns were randomly divided into experimental and control groups following escharectomy. The patients were separately treated with porcine acellular dermal xenograft (ADX) in combination with autologous split-thickness skin and pure autologous split-thickness skin graft. The wound healing was observed routinely and the scores were evaluated using Vancouver scar scale at different times following transplant surgery. The samples of cograft regions and the control group (pure transplant split-thickness skin autograft) were observed using light microscopy and electron microscopy, and the follow-up results were recorded. No conspicuous rejections on the cograft wound surface were observed. Compared with the control group, the cograft wounds were smooth, presented no scar contracture and exhibited good skin elasticity and recovery of the joint function. The cografted skin combined well and displayed a clear and continuous basal membrane, as well as gradually combined skin structure, a mature stratum corneum, downward extended rete pegs, a mainly uniform dermal collagen fiber structure, regular alignment, and fewer blood capillaries. Clear desmosome cograft regions were identified among heckle cells, as well as a clear and continuous basal membrane. The cografted skin of the combined split-thickness autograft and the acellular heterologous (porcine) dermal matrix showed an improved shape and functional recovery compared with the pure split-thickness skin autograft. The combination of the meshed ADX and the split-thickness skin autograft applied in deep full-thickness burns and scar wounds may induce tissue regeneration via dermis aiming. This method also has superior shape and functional recovery, and has an extensive clinical application value.

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