Acral Lentiginous Melanoma
- PMID: 32644539
- Bookshelf ID: NBK559113
Acral Lentiginous Melanoma
Excerpt
Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), also sometimes referred to as, simply, acral melanoma, is melanoma occurring on the hands and feet (palms, soles, fingers, toes, and nail units). The word acral derives from the Greek word referring to the highest or topmost portion of the limbs (extremities). The same stem word is used for the city of Akron (in Summit County, Ohio, the highest elevation on the Ohio and Erie Canal), and the acropolis (the rocky outcrop in Greece on which the Parthenon sits). Lentiginous refers to the initial origin of these tumors as a macular (flat) brown spot, resembling a benign lentigo.
The term melanoma refers to a malignancy of melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the epidermis. Acral melanoma was first separated as a distinct subtype of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) by Arrington et al. in 1977. It is the least common subtype of melanoma, comprising only 2 to 3% of total melanoma diagnoses. Unlike other CMM, UV-radiation is not thought to play a significant part in the development of ALM. It is most commonly on the lower extremities and is often advanced at the time of presentation leading to a high level of morbidity and mortality. It has a higher proportional incidence in non-white populations compared to other subtypes of melanoma. In this article, we will discuss the unique aspects of this disease.
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Sections
- Continuing Education Activity
- Introduction
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathophysiology
- Histopathology
- History and Physical
- Evaluation
- Treatment / Management
- Differential Diagnosis
- Surgical Oncology
- Radiation Oncology
- Medical Oncology
- Staging
- Prognosis
- Complications
- Deterrence and Patient Education
- Pearls and Other Issues
- Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
- Review Questions
- References
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References
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- Arrington JH, Reed RJ, Ichinose H, Krementz ET. Plantar lentiginous melanoma: a distinctive variant of human cutaneous malignant melanoma. Am J Surg Pathol. 1977 Jun;1(2):131-43. - PubMed
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- Huang K, Fan J, Misra S. Acral Lentiginous Melanoma: Incidence and Survival in the United States, 2006-2015, an Analysis of the SEER Registry. J Surg Res. 2020 Jul;251:329-339. - PubMed
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