Lentigo maligna melanoma--the review

Abstract

Lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) is a slowly growing tumor of elderly white population. It typically develops on chronically sun-exposed skin of the head and neck area which indicates that the cumulative exposure to the UV radiation has crucial role in the development of LMM. Precursor lesion is lentigo maligna (LM) which commonly presents as an irregular brownish pigmented macular lesion persisting for years. Women are affected more often as men by LMM, with the average age of over 60 years. The age of onset has dropped over the past years and this tumour is nowadays also diagnosed in 40-year-old individuals. However, the incidence rate increases with age and peaks in the seventh and eighth decades of life. The prognosis for invasive lentigo maligna melanoma does not differ from that for other histogenetic types of melanoma after controlling for tumour thickness. The diagnosis and treatment of LMM remain challenging. In this presentation, we review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, histopathology, and treatment of LMM.