Pedunculated malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND

The pedunculated melanoma is an unusual variant of nodular melanoma that presents a challenge in staging and management.

OBJECTIVE

We discuss the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of a case of pedunculated melanoma and present a brief review of the literature.

METHODS

Routine stain with hematoxylin and eosin was performed on tissue specimens.

RESULTS

The pedunculated melanoma was excised. Sentinel lymph node dissection was performed and was negative for the presence of melanoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Pedunculated melanoma is a rare type of melanoma. Conventional staging methods for melanoma may not be reliable in this type of tumor. Complete workup, possibly including sentinel lymph node dissection, should be performed in all patients with pedunculated melanomas.