A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report
Background. Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a less-common form of melanoma in US, and it accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed melanomas in US. ALM is often overlooked until it is well advanced because of the lesion’s location and its atypical appearance in the early stages. We present a case...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Endocrinology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/502806 |
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| author | Susan Thomas Yuan-Xiang Meng Vijaykumar G. Patel Gregory Strayhorn |
| author_facet | Susan Thomas Yuan-Xiang Meng Vijaykumar G. Patel Gregory Strayhorn |
| author_sort | Susan Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background. Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a less-common form of melanoma in US, and it accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed melanomas in US. ALM is often overlooked until it is well advanced because of the lesion’s location and its atypical appearance in the early stages. We present a case of ALM initially presented as a diabetic foot ulcer. Case Report. An 81-year-old man initially presented to the primary care clinic with a right foot diabetic ulcer. There was a large plantar, dark-colored ulcer that bled easy. Initial excision biopsy revealed Clark’s Level IV ALM. Subsequent definitive wide excision and sentinel node biopsy confirmed ALM with metastasis to inguinal lymph nodes (stage IIIb). The treatment included wide margin excision of the lesion with en bloc amputations of 4th and 5th toes, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Discussion. The development of ALM may potentially relate to diabetes as a reported higher prevalence of diabetes with ALM patients. Conclusion. The difficulty in early diagnosing of ALM remains as a formidable challenge particularly in diabetic patients who commonly develop plantar foot ulcers due to the diabetic neuropathy. This case reiterates the importance of a thorough foot exam in such patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1e53fd432aa4c58a33ada8d6d0931ae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-6501 2090-651X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1e53fd432aa4c58a33ada8d6d0931ae2025-02-03T01:00:02ZengWileyCase Reports in Endocrinology2090-65012090-651X2012-01-01201210.1155/2012/502806502806A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case ReportSusan Thomas0Yuan-Xiang Meng1Vijaykumar G. Patel2Gregory Strayhorn3Department of Family Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, 1513 East Cleveland Avenue, Building 100, Suite 300A, Atlanta, GA 30344, USADepartment of Family Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, 1513 East Cleveland Avenue, Building 100, Suite 300A, Atlanta, GA 30344, USADepartment of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USADepartment of Family Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, 1513 East Cleveland Avenue, Building 100, Suite 300A, Atlanta, GA 30344, USABackground. Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a less-common form of melanoma in US, and it accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed melanomas in US. ALM is often overlooked until it is well advanced because of the lesion’s location and its atypical appearance in the early stages. We present a case of ALM initially presented as a diabetic foot ulcer. Case Report. An 81-year-old man initially presented to the primary care clinic with a right foot diabetic ulcer. There was a large plantar, dark-colored ulcer that bled easy. Initial excision biopsy revealed Clark’s Level IV ALM. Subsequent definitive wide excision and sentinel node biopsy confirmed ALM with metastasis to inguinal lymph nodes (stage IIIb). The treatment included wide margin excision of the lesion with en bloc amputations of 4th and 5th toes, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Discussion. The development of ALM may potentially relate to diabetes as a reported higher prevalence of diabetes with ALM patients. Conclusion. The difficulty in early diagnosing of ALM remains as a formidable challenge particularly in diabetic patients who commonly develop plantar foot ulcers due to the diabetic neuropathy. This case reiterates the importance of a thorough foot exam in such patients.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/502806 |
| spellingShingle | Susan Thomas Yuan-Xiang Meng Vijaykumar G. Patel Gregory Strayhorn A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report Case Reports in Endocrinology |
| title | A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report |
| title_full | A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report |
| title_fullStr | A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report |
| title_short | A Rare Form of Melanoma Masquerading as a Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report |
| title_sort | rare form of melanoma masquerading as a diabetic foot ulcer a case report |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/502806 |
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