Basal cell carcinoma is not granulation tissue in the venous leg ulcer.

The authors present a case of a 76-year-old female with a 7-year history of a nonhealing leg ulcer. The wound surface had epithelial tissue present in a diffuse way with shiny granulations on parts of the edge of the ulcer. A biopsy of the ulcer edge was performed to study the reasons for the absence of response to treatment and the presence of abnormal granulation tissue. The result showed the presence of a basal cell carcinoma. The authors conclude that skin biopsy is very important in nonhealing chronic venous ulcers because carcinomas may mimic granulation tissue and complicate venous ulcers.