title: Cartilaginous melanoma: case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Malignant melanoma can present a variety of histopathological patterns. Cartilaginous change in the absence of osteogenic differentiation is extremely rare in malignant melanoma, being among the least frequent of the wide range of melanoma histologic patterns. We report a case of a 47-year-old woman with a subungual nodule on her right great toe for many years. Histopathological examination of the lesion led to a diagnosis of malignant melanoma with cartilaginous differentiation devoid of concomitant osseous areas. It would appear that this unusual form of melanoma has a predilection for acral location, particularly the subungual region. Malignant melanoma with chondroid stroma should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of cartilaginous lesions of the toes and fingers. Careful examination of the overlying epidermis and identification of an in situ component of melanoma may be necessary in order to establish the correct diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Santarém District Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Santarém, Portugal. parentejoana81@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Parente
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Joana Devesa
authors.forename: José Manuel Pereira da Silva
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Labareda
authors.forename: Elvira Augusta Felgueira Leonardo Fernandes
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bártolo
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Sachse Pinto Fonseca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Esmeralda Maria Seco do
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vale
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D035583:Rare Diseases; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014034:Toes
chemical_list: D009418:S100 Proteins