Congenital pigment synthesizing melanoma of the scalp
The pigment synthesizing melanoma, so-called animal type melanoma, is a rare variant of melanoma that is characterized by prominent melanin production and an unpredictable prognosis. Congenital onset of this melanoma is exceedingly rare. A 2-month-old Korean girl had a black nodule and a satellite black macule on the scalp which were noticed at birth. She received a surgical resection 3 months later because of rapidly growing lesions and the histopathologic features of a pigment synthesizing melanoma. Two months later, she returned with cervical area swelling, and the excised multiple lymph nodes showed metastatic malignant melanoma. The exact origin and pathogenesis of congenital pigment synthesizing melanoma is different from the more common forms of melanoma and remains poorly understood.
aDepartment of Dermatology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School and Center for Biomedical Human Resources, Gwangju, Korea
bDepartment of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School and Center for Biomedical Human Resources, Gwangju, Korea
cDepartment of Pathology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School and Center for Biomedical Human Resources, Gwangju, Korea
dDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School and Center for Biomedical Human Resources, Gwangju, Korea
eDepartment of Otolaryngology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School and Center for Biomedical Human Resources, Gwangju, Korea
Reprint requests: Hoon Kook, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, 160 Ilsim-Ri, Hwasun, Chollanamdo, 519-809, Korea (South).
Drs Yun and Han contributed equally to all aspects of this manuscript.
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