title: Nail apparatus melanoma: A comparative, clinicoprognostic study of the initial clinical and morphological characteristics of 49 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although nail apparatus melanoma has been widely evaluated, only limited data are available concerning its clinical features, which depend on its initial clinical morphology, broadly defined as a melanonychia or nonmelanonychia lesion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine heterogeneity on the basis of the initial clinical morphology of nail apparatus melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched the Asan Medical Center database for cases of nail apparatus melanoma that were confirmed by skin biopsy specimen. Patients were classified with either nail apparatus melanoma that began as melanonychia (group A) or nail apparatus melanoma that began as nonmelanonychia lesions (group B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 49 patients with nail apparatus melanoma. Of these, 29 and 20 patients were included in groups A or B, respectively. The prediagnosis duration was significantly longer in group A. At the time of diagnosis, advanced stage and deeper Breslow thickness were noted in group B. The median overall survival period of the whole cohort was 93.0 months, and the 5-year overall survival was 67%. Patients in group A demonstrated better survival outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is a retrospective, single-center design.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nail apparatus melanoma demonstrates different clinical features and survival outcomes depending on whether the lesion begins as melanonychia or nonmelanonychia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chong Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kee Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. Electronic address: jijulee@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Mi Woo
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: melanonychia; nail apparatus melanoma; survival outcomes