[Plantar melanoma: A wolf in sheep's clothing].

BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS: Amelanotic melanoma (AM) is a subtype of melanoma characterized by a diminished or lacking melanin synthesis. AM, especially ulcerated variants of the plantar region (AMP), are often clinically misdiagnosed, leading to a delay in treatment initiation.

THERAPY AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT: We present a case series of 4 AMP and give a detailed overview about clinical features and the subsequent medical history of this severe disease.

CONCLUSIONS

AMP shows a variety of clinical presentations and particularly elderly patients with many accompanying medical conditions are in danger of incorrect clinical diagnoses. Therefore, we recommend to biopsy any amelanotic plantar ulcer or tumor that does not respond to treatment within 6 weeks to rule out AM.