Melanoma rarely occur on scars, although squamous-cell carcinomas are
more frequently reported. We observed three cases which were compared
with 37 cases found in the literature. These scars are usually cause;l
by thermal burn and smallpox vaccination. The extremities are mainly
involved In burn scars and the left arm in vaccination scars. Diagnosi
s is often late, sometimes with ulcerated lesions. This delay probably
partially accounts for the overall bad prognosis of these lesions, es
pecially for melanomas arising on burn scars. Previous grafting for bu
rn scars does not seem to be a significant event. The pathophysiology
of this complication is discussed. This rare but seemingly dangerous e
volution emphasizes the importance of vigilance regarding scars modifi
cations especially following burns, even very old burns.