CLASSIFICATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND DIFFERENTI AL-DIAGNOSIS OF MALIGNANT-MELANOMA

Due to the recent increase of incidence of malignant melanoma and due to the significance of early detection for a definite cure from the di sease, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of malignant melanoma are very important. At first glance the malignant potential of a pigmented mole can be evaluated by the macroscopical ABCD rule (Asymmetry, irre gular Border, different Colors, and Diameter larger than 6 mm). In add ition, also the history of the patient might be helpful. Thus a malign ant melanoma should be considered when a patient reports a new rapidly growing pigmented lesion or a change in an existing mole in color, si ze, shape, and surface. Itching or burning should also arouse the susp icion of a malignant change. Risk factors for the development of a mal ignant melanmoma are a high number of benign melanocytic nevi, large c ongenital melanocytic nevi, fair skin types with a tendency to sunburn s and a malignant melanoma in the family of the patient. With dermatos copy, which is skin surface microscopy at 10x magnification, the diffi cult macroscopical differential diagnosis is facilitated, because this technique opens a new dimension between macroscopy and microscopy.