SINUS HISTIOCYTOSIS MIMICKING METASTATIC MELANOMA IN LYMPH-NODES OF APATIENT WITH A LARGE JOINT PROSTHESIS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THELITERATURE

Malignant melanoma metastases to regional lymph nodes may be mimicked by several non-neoplastic processes, including sinus histiocytosis ind uced by fragments shed from joint prostheses. A patient who had an ele ctive lymph node dissection for malignant melanoma and was found to ha ve ''post-prosthesis lymph node histiocytosis'' resembling metastatic disease is described. Knowledge of the patient's past history of a tot al shoulder joint replacement along with the use of polarized light mi croscopy to identify birefringent particles of prosthetic debris allow s for an accurate histologic diagnosis. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.