To give a child the ominous diagnosis of malignant melanomais a very difficult decision for both clinician and pathologist.Difficulties in histologic diagnosis combined with a reluctanceon the part of the clinician may lead to delays in diagnosisand curative surgical intervention. In fact, some melanomasin children are misdiagnosed clinically as benign lesions andrecognized as melanomas only after excision. It is imperativeto recognize that malignant melanoma occurs in children andto appreciate its clinical characteristics and predisposingfactors.
Incidence and Prognosis
Approximately 2 percent of melanomas occur in patients underthe age of 20 years, and 0.3 to . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Risk Factors
Origin, Signs, and Symptoms of Melanoma in Children
Congenital Melanoma
Melanoma Arising in Congenital Nevi
Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome
Xeroderma Pigmentosum
Immunosuppression
Spitz Nevus
Malignant Blue Nevus
Therapy
Source Information
From the Department of Dermatology, Dermatopathology Section, New York University Medical Center, New York (P.I.C.); the National Institute of Pediatrics, Mexico City, Mexico (R.R.-M.); and the Department of Dermatology and Dermatopathology, Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y. (M.C.M.).
Address reprint requests to Dr. Mihm at Albany Medical College, 47 New Scotland Ave., Suite K213, Albany, NY 12208-3479.
References
Related Letters:
Melanoma in Children
Bono A., Bartoli C., Del Prato I., Pappo A. S., Pratt C. B., Ceballos P. I., Ruiz-Maldonado R., Mihm M. C.
Extract |
Full Text
N Engl J Med 1995;
333:255-257, Jul 27, 1995.
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