A 72-year-old woman with the initial diagnosis of a malignant melanoma on the right lower leg presented to our clinic after an in sano excision in a clinic alio loco. However, after further excision of the melanoma, we closed the wound using skin mesh-graft. After complete wound healing, the patient received a low-dose interferon therapy with Roferon. After 3 months, the patients presented to us with worsening of the wound condition and a reappearance of activated melanoma in situ of the scar on the right lower leg. Therefore, a radical excision of the pretibial scar and a temporary covering with alloplastic material was performed. After several debridements, a clean granulating wound could be achieved making it possible to cover the defect of the lower leg with a free radial forearm flap from the right forearm. Finally, the patient could be discharged with normal wound healing from our department and received further chemotherapy without any sign of re-appearance of the malignant melanoma so far.
A 60-year-old female with the initial diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia was presented to our clinic with an abscess and surrounding erysipelas on the left lower leg (Figure 4a ). A first excision and debridement of the soft tissue was performed exposing the extensor tendons with a defect size of 6x5 cm (Figure 4b ). Vacuum therapy was applied. Due to the initial and ongoing chemotherapy (idarubicin and cytosin-arabinoside) with a depleted hematological cell status, we decided not to perform a reconstructive procedure with a loco-regional or even free flap, but to repeat the debridement and vacuum therapy for the following 10 weeks. With a satisfying granulation of the wound, we finally closed the defect with skin grafts during a chemotherapeutic interval (Figure 4c ). Although, the wound healing was prolonged, the patient could be discharged with finally good results to receive further allogenic stem cell transplantation in an external clinic.