Thin Primary Cutaneous Melanoma in Childhood and Adolescence: Report of 12 Cases

Authors: MANGANONI, AUSILIA MARIA¹; FARISOGLIO, CAMILO¹; TUCCI, GIOVANNA¹; FACCHETTI, FABIO²; UNGARI, MARCO²; CALZAVARA-PINTON, PIER GIACOMO¹

Source: Pediatric Dermatology, Volume 26, Number 3, May/June 2009 , pp. 356-357(2)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

Approximately, 1-4% of all new melanoma cases occur in patients younger than 20 years. The clinical presentation of melanoma in the young is often challenging. We report the experience of the Melanoma Unit of University Hospital Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy. Study subjects were drawn from 1470 patients with histologically confirmed melanoma. From this group, melanoma developed in 12 patients younger than 19 years. For each melanoma diagnosed, histologic characteristics, treatment, and outcomes were evaluated. Of the 12 patients described in this study, four were men and eight were women. The average age was 15.6 years ranging from 11 to 18 years. Regarding invasive melanomas, Breslow thickness ranged from 0.15 to 0.66 mm with a mean thickness of 0.36 mm. Primary treatment of 12 patients included wide local excision of their primary lesions. In many cases reported in literature lesions are amelanotic, nodular, and resemble pyogenic granuloma. From our case studies it was found that the clinical characteristics detected in melanomas diagnosed in childhood and adolescence have been the same as those described in adults and that the ABCDE clinical criteria may be helpful basics of melanoma.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1470.2009.00920.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy 2: Department of Pathology I, University Hospital Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy

Publication date: 2009-05-01