Progression from Acral Lentiginous Melanoma in situ to Invasive Acral Lentiginous Melanoma.
- Author:
Jung Min BAE
1
;
Hyung Ok KIM
;
Young Min PARK
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords: Acral lentiginous melanoma in situ
- MeSH: Aged; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biopsy; Epidermis; Humans; Male; Melanocytes; Melanoma; Toes
- From:Annals of Dermatology 2009;21(2):185-188
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is the most common type of cutaneous melanoma in Asians. The very early stage of ALM demonstrates only a proliferation of a few atypical melanocytes within the epidermis, and has been termed ALM in situ. A 74-year-old male patient presented with a pigmented lesion on the left great toe for 12 years, which had initially showed only a few scattered hyperplastic atypical melanocytes without dermal invasion upon biopsy 5 years ago. This time however, rebiopsy of the lesion confirmed a diagnosis of ALM, stage IIIB. It could be inferred that the lesion had slowly progressed from ALM in situ to invasive ALM over a period of 12 years. Herein we report a case of ALM in situ which progressed to invasive ALM over a long period of time. We expect this report may assist physicians in early recognition and proper management of future cases of ALM in situ.
