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Case Reports
. 2024 Mar 3;16(3):e55450.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.55450. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Hypertrophic Lichen Planus: A Precursor Lesion for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Sowmiya M  1 , Thanka Johnson  1 , Manimaran R  2 , Srismitha S  1 , Janhavi M S  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Hypertrophic Lichen Planus: A Precursor Lesion for Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Sowmiya M et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common malignant tumor of the skin. This case report aims to report a case of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in an elderly male presenting with a non-healing ulceroproliferative growth on the shin of the right lower limb and a hypopigmented patch on the shin of the left lower limb. The significant feature of this case is that in the shin of the left lower limb, SCC appears in the background of chronic hypertrophic lichen planus (HLP) but in the right lower limb, there is no evidence of a background hypertrophic lichen planus. There are only a few similar cases reported so far in the literature showing long-standing hypertrophic lichen planus as a risk factor for the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This case illustrates that chronic hypertrophic lichen planus should be considered as a potential precursor lesion for SCC. Regular screening is essential for early detection, enabling timely intervention for improving patient outcomes.

Keywords: cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; hypertrophic lichen planus; malignant transformation; non-healing ulcer; scc precursor; scc screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Ulceroproliferative lesion over the anterior aspect of the right lower limb
Figure 2
Figure 2. Hypopigmented patch over the anterior aspect of the left lower limb
Figure 3
Figure 3. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma
The tumor consists of irregular masses of squamous cells that have invaded the dermis (H&E, x100). H&E, hematoxylin and eosin
Figure 4
Figure 4. Squamous cell carcinoma arising in the background of hypertrophic lichen planus (H&E, x100)
H&E, hematoxylin and eosin
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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