Squamous cell carcinoma mimicking postburn granuloma of the forearm: a case report

Burn injuries can result in various benign cutaneous sequelae, whereas malignant transformation in the acute phase is exceedingly rare. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising only 1 month after a thermal burn. A 73-year-old woman presented with a firm, erythematous nodule on the dorsal forearm at the site of a recent burn. The lesion was initially suspected to be a postburn granuloma and was excised with narrow margins. Histopathologic examination revealed well-differentiated SCC with negative resection margins. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis, showing diffuse cytokeratin positivity, focal p53 expression, and a low Ki-67 index. Wide local excision was subsequently performed, and no recurrence was observed during six months of follow-up. This case illustrates a potential diagnostic pitfall: malignant nodular lesions developing in recent burn sites may closely mimic benign entities, and clinicians should remain vigilant to avoid delayed diagnosis.