Acral melanoma foot lesions. Part 1: epidemiology, aetiology, and molecular pathology.

Acral melanoma (AM) is a rare subtype of cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) found on acral skin, primarily on the soles of the feet. Although rare, it is the most common subtype of MM found in patients of African or East Asian ethnicity and has a poor prognosis, often because of the more advanced stage of presentation at diagnosis. The pathogenesis of AM is unclear, but genetic alterations, including mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and KIT have been implicated. Early diagnosis of AM is important for a better prognosis, but its identification is often challenging, leading to easy misdiagnosis. In the first of this two-part review, we review the history, epidemiology, aetiology and molecular pathology of AM; in part 2 we will review diagnosis and management.