Malignant melanoma of the foot in black patients: a case report and literature survey

Abstract

Malignant melanoma in black patients is not the rare entity previously supposed if the numerous reported accounts are considered. In black patients, the tumor appears most commonly in the pedal region. The plantar surface appears to be most frequently involved. The literature on melanoma in blacks provides confusing statistics. Malignant melanoma in blacks represents a small, well-delineated subset of melanomas possibly with its own incidence and prognosis. A case report is presented, with a search of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Tumor Registry and a review of pertinent current dermatological literature.