Exposed hardware in a patient with invasive keratinocyte carcinoma

KC: keratinocyte carcinoma SCC: squamous cell carcinoma INTRODUCTION The care of patients with aggressive keratinocyte carcinomas (KCs), including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma, is often multidisciplinary and includes dermatologic surgeons, plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, and other surgical subspecialties. Complex reconstructions might require osteosynthetic material, such as porous polyethylene plates and mesh. Complications of titanium implants include infection, poor wound healing, fistula formation, hardware exposure, and hardware malfunction, which might necessitate hardware removal. Failure of implanted alloplastic material can initially present with chronic ulceration, but other possible etiologies of ulceration include impaired wound healing, an infectious process, inflammatory skin disease, or a recurrence of skin cancer. It is recommended for dermatologists to be aware of and knowledgeable about implantable materials and associated potential complications because they often provide long-term follow-up for these complex conditions. We present a case of a patient who presented with exposed hardware following extensive surgical treatment for invasive KC.