Squamous cell carcinoma arising in hypertrophic lichen planus.

Hypertrophic lichen planus (HLP) is a chronic T-cell-mediated inflammatory disease characterised by pruritic hypertrophic or verrucous plaques on the lower limbs. We report a case of an 87-year-old woman with a 12-year history of HLP on both lower legs presenting with malignant transformation of one lesion into a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Malignancy developing in cutaneous lichen planus is rare, with less than 50 cases reported in the literature. This case highlights the need to be aware of suspicious changes in long-standing HLP to allow early detection of a developing SCC. © BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.