A Diagnostic Challenge: Desmoplastic Melanoma

Katie A. O’connell, Ryan M. Svoboda, Bryan E. Anderson, Klaus F. Helm, Kimberly M. Ken

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is uncommon and can be a diagnostic challenge both clinically and histologically. We report a unique presentation of DM presenting as an amelanotic, depressed, indurated plaque on the forehead. The lesion was clinically concerning for a morpheaform basal cell carcinoma and with an unrevealing initial punch biopsy, an excisional biopsy with immunohistochemistry was necessary to determine a diagnosis of pure desmoplastic melanoma. When a patient presents with a depressed, indurated plaque of unknown etiology, including DM in the clinical differential diagnosis and communicating this to the dermatopathologist can potentially reduce the risk for a delay in diagnosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)162-165
Number of pages4
JournalSKIN: Journal of Cutaneous Medicine
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 4 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Dermatology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A Diagnostic Challenge: Desmoplastic Melanoma'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this