title: Clinically and dermoscopically featureless melanoma: when prevention fails.
abstract: We report a case of amelanotic melanoma that was clinically and dermoscopically featureless; it was repeatedly missed during examination at a pigmented lesion clinic. Dermoscopy evidenced a peculiar vascular pattern, and only the adoption of a specific diagnostic algorithm including the atypical vascular pattern among the major diagnostic criteria would have helped the observer make the correct diagnosis. The risk of false-negative diagnosis by both clinical examination and dermoscopy during melanoma screening as well as the possible role of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of amelanotic melanoma are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Italy. CARLI@unifi.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Massi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: de Giorgi
authors.forename: Benvenuto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giannotti
mesh_terms: D003880:Dermatology / Q000295:instrumentation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D018328:Melanoma, Amelanotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013848:Thigh