[Amelanotic malignant melanoma of the scalp clinically resembling a proliferating trichilemmal cyst].

HISTORY AND FINDINGS: A 37-year-old woman was admitted with an ulcerated tumor of the scalp together with an enlarged cervical lymph node. The clinical features resembled proliferative trichilemmal cyst.

INVESTIGATIONS: Fine needle aspiration of the lymph node revealed an amelanotic metastasis of a malignant melanoma.

TREATMENT AND COURSE: The entire tumor was removed and a radical neck-dissection performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic malignant melanoma.

CONCLUSION

Proliferative trichilemmal cysts and malignant melanoma of the scalp are rare, but should be considered as differential diagnoses of neoplasm in this part of the body.