Extrafacial Lentigo Maligna: A Report on 14 Cases and a Review of the Literature

Abstract

Lentigo maligna is the most common form of in situ melanoma. It is most often found on the head and neck, and its clinical and dermoscopic features in this location have been extensively described in the literature. We present a series of 14 patients diagnosed with extrafacial lentigo maligna and lentigo maligna melanoma at Hospital General de Valencia and Hospital de Manacor in Spain, and describe the clinical, dermoscopic, and histologic features observed. Most of the melanomas were located on the upper limbs; the next most common locations were the trunk and the lower limbs. The dermoscopic patterns were consistent with facial lentigo maligna and superficial spreading melanoma. Extrafacial lentigo maligna is uncommon. It has similar clinical and histologic features to facial lentigo, but dermoscopy may show a mix of patterns typically seen in lentigo maligna and superficial spreading melanoma. This difference in dermoscopic features is essentially due to anatomical differences between skin on the face and on other parts of the body.

Keywords: Dermatoscopia; Dermoscopy; Lentigo maligno; Melanoma.