title: Cerebriform nodular amelanotic metastases of malignant melanoma: a challenge in differential diagnosis of a rare variant.
abstract: High variability of the clinical appearance of malignant melanoma (MM) and its metastases render the differential diagnosis of solid amelanotic tumours difficult. We report a 71-year-old woman with several unusual cutaneous tumours of cerebriform morphology, suggesting skin metastases from occult internal cancer. Histopathological findings and thorough investigations, however, revealed a late-stage metastatic MM. We discuss the differential diagnosis of skin metastases of various origin and underline the difficulties for early detection of MM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Medical Centre Benjamin Franklin, The Free University of Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farthmann
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dippel
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Orfanos
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Blume-Peytavi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018328:Melanoma, Amelanotic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor