Diagnosis of melanoma localized in ulcer associated with diabetic foot syndrome — case report

Difficult-to-heal wounds, which include ulcers in diabetic foot syndrome (DFS), are characterized by long healing times, sometimes leading to sepsis and the need for amputation. The often months-long persistence of the ulceration creates conditions for uncontrolled proliferation of granulation tissue, which is a component of the wound, also in the direction of neoplastic lesions. The co-occurrence of such a condition with hyperglycemia can increase the risk of cancer development within the ulcer. This article presents the case of a 71-year-old man in whom a histopathological examination of a wound specimen was performed due to a lack of progress in the healing process. The patient was diagnosed with melanoma and was referred urgently to a referral centre, where a toe resection and sentinel node biopsy were performed. In addition, the article presents a diagnostic pathway that applies to patients with suspected proliferative disease in the wound associated with DFS