Management of Malignant Melanoma of the Skin

Abstract

Melanoma is a malignant tumor arising from melanocytes. The most common localization of the tumor is the skin, which includes about 95% of cases. But melanomas can be observed in other locations such as the mucosal membranes of gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system or in the eye. The incidence of melanoma varies in different populations and depends on some biological, lifestyle and/or environmental factors. There are four main histological patterns of melanoma, superficial spreading, nodular, lentigo maligna, and acral lentiginous. Various assistive optical devices like dermoscopy are becoming part of routine clinical practice. Imaging studies like CT and MRI are very important in stage III and IV disease to role out distant metastases. The risk of lymph nodal involvement correlates with thickness of the primary lesion and presence of ulceration. The removal of the regional lymph nodes was believed to have the potential to cure patients with clinically occult lymph nodes.