A possible additional diagnostic tool for cutaneous melanoma.

The rise in incidence of malignant melanoma and the dismal prognosis of late detection emphasize the need for early detection and recognition of the disease. The well-known ABCD method for detection of melanoma has recently been revised by adding an "E" for changes in size, shape, color, crusting, itching, bleeding, and erythema. In an observational study, 8 of 14 (57%) melanoma patients exhibited a particular reddish hue to the skin adjacent to the melanoma, with no distinguishable borders. In another study, vascular endothelial growth factor was positive in biopsy specimens from 3 of 6 (50%) patients with erythema and in 4 of 7 (57%) patients without erythema. Platelet-derived growth factor was positive in all 6 (100%) of the patients with erythema and in 4 of the 7 (57%) without erythema. This erythema can help alert the clinician to the presence of malignant melanoma and serve as a prognostic factor or an indicator of the efficacy of treatment.