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Subpatterns of Melanoma

Arch Dermatol. 2004;140:1182.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The lesions shown are from the right anterior thigh of a 41-year-old white woman (Figure 1), the right upper abdomen of a 61-year-old white man (Figure 2), and the medial right lower leg of a 64-year-old white woman (Figure 3) (size bar, 5 mm). All 3 of these lesions were interpreted as Clark level II melanomas with Breslow depth of 0.36, 0.15, and 0.27, respectively. All 3 lesions reveal a relatively similar dermoscopic pattern. The lesions are relatively hyperpigmented on one edge with a gradient of pigment from brown to tan to the normal-appearing skin. The edges are irregular and difficult to discriminate from the adjacent skin in the lighter areas. Theoretically, this pattern could be caused by a clone of melanocytic cells that either gain or lose the capacity to produce/distribute melanin as the cell population expands in the epidermis.

Figure appears in full text version. Figure 1.

Figure appears in full text version. Figure . . . [Full Text of this Article]