MALIGNANT-MELANOMA - DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF THE PIGMENTED LESION

Familiarity with the clinical signs of malignant melanoma can result i n earlier recognition and thus potentially decrease both patient morbi dity and mortality. Unfortunately, several cutaneous tumors, both beni gn and malignant, have clinical similarities to this neoplasm, often m aking the correct diagnosis difficult. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the clinical characteristics of the different types of malign ant melanoma and those lesions that mimic this ominous malignancy. Fur thermore, diagnostic clues to help delineate between these various pig mented lesions are provided.