title: Desmoplastic melanoma.
abstract: Desmoplastic melanoma is an uncommon type of malignant melanoma that has a predilection for the skin of the head and neck. Because of a progressive metaplasia of melanocytes and an accompanying desmoplasia, the neoplasm can be mistaken for benign or malignant soft tissue lesions. The neurotropism exhibited by many desmoplastic melanomas is a strong adverse factor for prognosis; otherwise, the biologic behavior is not unlike that of conventional melanomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Batsakis
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Raymond
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*