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Case Reports
. 2013 Nov-Dec;88(6):989-91.
doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20132206.

Amelanotic metastatic cutaneous melanoma

Marcela Sena Teixeira Mendes  1 , Mariana Carvalho Costa  2 , Ciro Martins Gomes  3 , Lisley Calixto de Araújo  1 , Gustavo Henrique Soares Takano  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Amelanotic metastatic cutaneous melanoma

Marcela Sena Teixeira Mendes et al. An Bras Dermatol. 2013 Nov-Dec.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Dermatoscopy of melanocytic lesions has guided the decision of when or not to biopsy a lesion. The use of this tool has increased clinical examination's sensitivity and specificity in 89% and 96% respectively. However, dermatoscopic evaluation of amelanotic or hypomelanotic melanomas, as well as metastases, can be difficult. There is still no standardization for the analysis of these pathologies, which relies mostly on their vascular pattern. We describe the dermatoscopy of acral metastatic amelanotic melanoma.

A dermatoscopia das lesões melanocíticas tem auxiliado na decisão de biopsiar ou não uma lesão. A utilização desta ferramenta aumentou a sensibilidade e a especificidade do diagnóstico para 89% e 96%, respectivamente. No entanto, a avaliação dermatoscópica de melanomas amelanóticos ou hipomelanóticos, bem como a de metástases cutâneas, pode ser difícil. Ainda falta uma padronização para a análise destas patologias, que se baseia, majoritariamente, no seu padrão vascular. Descreve-se a dermatoscopia de melanoma metastático amelanótico acral.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interests: none

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Pinkish papule with 3 mm of diameter, located 5 mm from the surgical scar
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
At dermoscopy, polymorphic vessels are seen – in corkscrew (circle), in points and lines (arrows) – besides milky-red areas
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Histopathology: atypical melanocytes showing bizarre mitosis, nuclei with varying sizes, prominent nucleoli and pigment absence
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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