title: Melanoma within the seborrheic keratosis.
abstract: Seborrheic keratoses (SKs) are common benign nonmelanocytic epidermal tumors with characteristic clinical features, which are thought to allow a straightforward diagnosis in most situations. As a result, it is an accepted practice to destroy them without histopathologic confirmation. However, systematic reviews of histologic specimens reveal an erroneous clinical diagnosis or associated malignant tumors in a number of cases, including malignant melanomas. We describe a patient with a clinically typical-appearing SK, which was biopsied and histologically proven to be a malignant melanoma arising in the SK. Our report is a reminder that the reliability of clinical diagnosis of SKs needs to be questioned. In addition, a biopsy of SKs is not only warranted but necessary in order to identify a malignant melanoma that would otherwise be misdiagnosed or even completely missed.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ 07103-2714, USA.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Nadia I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Kihiczak
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rothenberg
authors.forename: Shahida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D017492:Keratosis, Seborrheic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery