title: Malignant melanoma in a black child: predisposing precursors and management.
abstract: Malignant melanoma (MM) remains a pediatric rarity world-wide, but perhaps more so in black Africans. To the best of our knowledge, the current report of MM in a two-and-a-half-year-old Nigerian who had a pre-existing congenital giant hairy nevus is probably the first (in an accessible literature) in a black African child. Primary neoplastic transformation and metastatic spread were suggested by the appearance of multiple swellings over the "garment" precursor nevus at the posterior trunk, multiple ipsilateral axillary nodal enlargement, and fresh occipital swellings postadmission. Smaller-sized hyperpigmented lesions with irregular, nonlobulated, and frequently hairy surfaces were also discernible over the upper and lower extremities, but the face, anterior trunk, and mucosal surfaces were relatively spared. A diagnosis of MM was confirmed by the subsequent histopathologic findings from the fine-needle aspirate and biopsy specimens. Chemotherapy was initiated but was truncated shortly after by parent-pressured discharge. Despite the rarity of MM in a tropical African setting where management options are few, the current case underscores the need for a high clinical index of diagnostic suspicion, an early pursuit of investigative confirmation, and prophylactic excision in children with the predisposing skin lesions, like congenital giant hairy nevus. An expounded discourse of the possible precursors and management options of MM is provided. We emphasize the need for institutional cost subsidy for anticancer care in tropical children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olanrewaju T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Adedoyin
authors.forename: Abdul-Wahab B R
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Ayodele I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ojuawo
authors.forename: Enoch A O
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Afolayan
authors.forename: Kayode A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Adeniji
mesh_terms: D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D015984:Causality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004416:Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D009549:Nigeria; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics