title: Darkly pigmented lesions in dark-skinned patients.
abstract: It is well known that fair-haired, fair-complected individuals have an increased risk of skin malignancies. Current literature, however, gives no aid in evaluating darkly pigmented lesions in the dark-skinned patient. Blacks have an incidence of malignant melanoma from 5 to 18 times less than whites, while Hispanics have a higher incidence than blacks, but 3.5 to 4.5 times less than whites. Basal-cell epitheliomas are more likely to be darkly pigmented in both groups, leading to erroneous diagnosis and treatment as melanomas.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation