title: Amelanotic subungual melanoma after trauma: An unusual clinical presentation.
abstract: Amelanotic subungual melanoma (SUM) is difficult to clinically diagnose owing to its rarity and variable presentation. We describe a case of a 63-year-old gentleman with an amelanotic SUM that developed after local trauma and presented as a persistent non-healing ulcer which was initially mistaken for a chronic infection. Because amelanotic SUM can mimic other lesions, the physician should have a high index of suspicion for SUM when managing atypical nail lesions to ensure prompt recognition and treatment. The prior trauma to the nail also suggests that posttraumatic inflammation may play a role in SUM development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rangwala
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Gunjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Modi
authors.forename: Bhuvaneswari
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Orengo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018328:Melanoma, Amelanotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome