Acral lentiginous melanoma
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| Acral lentiginous melanoma Classification and external resources |
|
| ICD-10 | C43 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 172.0-173.9 |
| ICD-O: | 8744/3 |
Acral lentiginous melanoma is a kind of skin melanoma. It is also known as subungual melanoma. It is seen on the palms, soles and under the nails. This is the most common form of melanoma in Asians and Blacks. The average age at diagnosis is between sixty and seventy years. It also occurs in Caucasians and in young people. This type of melanoma occurs on non hair-bearing surfaces of the body which may or may not be exposed to sunlight. It is also found on mucous membranes. It does not appear to be linked to sun exposure.
Typical symptoms include:
- longitudinal tan, black, or brown streak on a finger or toe nail (melanonychia striata)
- pigmentation of proximal nail fold
- areas of dark pigmentation on palms of hands or soles of feet
Any new area of pigmentation or an existing one that shows change should be checked by a dermatologist. If caught early this type of melanoma has a similar cure rate as the other types of superficial spreading melanoma.
The microscopic hallmarks are:
- atypical melanocytes in junctional nests
- dermal invasion
- desmoplasia
- hyperplastic epidermis
Trivia
Bob Marley, famous reggae artist, was killed by acral lentiginous melanoma that was present under one of his toenails.
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