Workup

  • Stage I/II (localized) → SLNB is indicated if > 0.8mm thick or < 0.8mm but ulcerated – no other work up done routinely
    • Rationale for SLNB
      • Confirm stage
      • Select patients for adjuvant therapy
      • Select patients for clinical trials
    • Stage IIB to IIIB (typically done by oncology) → pan PET/CT, CBC, LDH
    • Stage IIIC to IV → same as above + brain CT or MRI
    • Serum markers for metastatic melanoma:
      • S100B (associated with mortality)
      • Melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA)
  • Tumor thickness (most important)
  • Mitotic rate > 1mm2
  • Older age
  • Male gender
  • Trunk, head and neck
  • Regional lymph node tumour burden: macroscopic > microscopic
  • Distant metastases site: visceral > non-visceral
Superficial spreading melanoma
  • Common nevus
  • Atypical nevus
  • Seborrheic keratosis
  • Thrombosed hemangioma
  • Angiokeratoma
  • Pigmented basal cell carcinoma
  • Pigmented actinic keratosis
Nodular
  • Common nevus
  • Blue nevus
  • Pigmented Spitz
  • Pigmented basal cell carcinoma
  • Seborrheic keratosis
  • Pyogenic granuloma
Lentigo maligna melanoma
  • Solar lentigo
  • Pigmented actinic keratosis
  • Flat / macular seborrheic keratosis
  • Superficial / pigmented basal cell carcinoma
  • Solar keratosis (pigmented variant)
Acral melanoma
  • Wart
  • Hematoma
  • Nevus
  • Pyogenic granuloma
  • Melanonychia

On palm and soles:

    • Black heel (hemorrhage caused by trauma)
    • Plantar warts
    • Trophic ulcers
    • Plantar callosity
    • Tinea nigra

Subungual:

    • Subungual hematoma
    • Bowen disease
    • Verruca
    • Paronychia
    • Drug-induced nail pigmentation
Amelanotic
  • Superficial basal cell carcinoma
  • Bowen disease
  • Benign lichenoid keratosis
  • Pyogenic granuloma
  • Merkel cell carcinoma