Squamous Cell Carcinoma Complicating Chronic Osteomyelitis: A Retrospective Study

Background Chronic osteomyelitis is often a recalcitrant entity and rarely may lead to malignant transformation. This study is aimed to retrospectively study cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising from chronic osteomyelitis. Material and methods Six cases of squamous cell carcinoma after chronic osteomyelitis were studied retrospectively. The location, disease duration and histopathological subtype of the tumor was studied. Results The patients had an average age of 53 years (range 44 to 62 years), with a male predominance (5 men and 1 woman). The mean delay between the initial insult and the diagnosis of malignant transformation was 26 years (range 8 to 44 years). The carcinoma resulted from tibia osteomyelitis in four cases, femur in one case and ankle in one case. Histopathologically, four cases comprised of well differentiated SCC and poorly differentiated SCC was seen in two cases. Conclusion Though a rare occurence, squamous cell carcinoma complicating chronic osteomyelitis can lead to increase in mortality, thus treating orthopedic surgeon must be aware of this complication and undertake early intervention to prevent distant spread.