Squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp arising from chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus: report of two Indian patients.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) usually arises in skin damaged by actinic rays. Exposure to chemicals like coal tar, soot, arsenic and a variety of oils and distillation products is also implicated in its pathogenesis. It occasionally occurs in scars following inflammatory or degenerative processes. It is an end stage complication of a wide array of inflammatory skin conditions. SCC complicating chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE) in Indian patients is rarely reported. Here we report two such Indian patients with long standing CCLE in whom the diagnosis of CCLE and SCC was confirmed by histopathology.