title: Malignant Melanoma With Rhabdomyosarcomatous Differentiation: A Case Report.
abstract: Malignant melanoma may exhibit morphologic characteristics of nonmelanocytic cell or tissue components, a phenomenon termed divergent differentiation. Melanoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation is rare, with 6 definite cases in adults reported in the literature. The authors describe a 75-year-old man with a cutaneous lesion of the right ear initially diagnosed as malignant melanoma. Three months later, biopsy of a right cervical lymph node showed changes suggestive of rhabdomyosarcoma. Reexamination of the initial skin biopsy with muscle markers confirmed a diagnosis of malignant melanoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. This case serves to highlight the diagnostic challenges associated with this rare subtype of melanoma.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY; and †Department of Dermatology, Division of Dermatopathology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Nina K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Antonov
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Niedt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012208:Rhabdomyosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor