MALIGNANT-MELANOMA IN CHILDHOOD

Six cases of malignant melanoma in children 14 years of age and younge r are reported. The six cases were diagnosed among 850,000 consecutive skin biopsy specimens and consultation slides examined within a 32-ye ar period. This series included an infant born with neurocutaneous mel anosis, a child with malignant melanoma developing in a large congenit al nevus at the age of 13 years, a superficial spreading malignant mel anoma, Clark Level 111, in a child with many dysplastic nevi, and thre e cases with primary nodular malignant melanoma, two of which showed h istologic features of Spitz nevus. A review of the literature indicate s that malignant melanoma in childhood is rare, and no large series ha ve been investigated. It is not known whether the genetic and the envi ronmental factors incriminated in the development of malignant melanom a in adults play a role in childhood melanomas. Data on the incidence of childhood melanoma in the population, the clinical and the histolog ic variations, and the prognosis are not adequate. A multiinstitutiona l study is needed to gather a large enough series to provide this info rmation. Cancer 1993; 71:4096