Pediatric melanoma: a single-institution experience of 150 patients
- PMID: 19635298
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2008.12.003
Pediatric melanoma: a single-institution experience of 150 patients
Abstract
Purpose: Differentiating pigmented skin lesions from malignant melanoma in the pediatric population has been a challenge. Despite guidelines describing clinical features and histopathologic criteria to distinguish these lesions, misdiagnoses still occur. We report our experience over 30 years in a pediatric population with malignant melanoma.
Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 150 pediatric patients treated for malignant melanoma between 1973 and 2007 at our institution. Outcomes measured included age, Breslow thickness, Clark level of invasion, tumor location, local and distant failure rates, and overall survival.
Results: One hundred fifty pediatric patients were evaluated. The mean age was 15.1 years. The mean Breslow thickness was 2.05 mm and corresponding Clark level of invasion was 3.47. There were 43 known recurrences (29%); 29 distant, 14 nodal, and 7 local. Overall survival was 84% with a mean follow-up of 8.5 years. Sixteen patients (10.7%) were incorrectly diagnosed on initial pathologic examination. Overall survival in the misdiagnosed group was 66%.
Conclusion: Pigmented skin lesions in the pediatric population represent a diagnostic challenge to pathologists and clinicians. Improvements in diagnostic techniques with rigorous characterization, as well as increased physician awareness, should lead to a reduction in errors of diagnosis.
Similar articles
-
Evidence and interdisciplinary consense-based German guidelines: diagnosis and surveillance of melanoma.Melanoma Res. 2007 Dec;17(6):393-9. doi: 10.1097/CMR.0b013e3282f05039. Melanoma Res. 2007. PMID: 17992123
-
Subungual melanoma: a study of 124 cases highlighting features of early lesions, potential pitfalls in diagnosis, and guidelines for histologic reporting.Am J Surg Pathol. 2007 Dec;31(12):1902-12. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0b013e318073c600. Am J Surg Pathol. 2007. PMID: 18043047
-
Methods of detection of first recurrence in patients with stage I/II primary cutaneous melanoma after sentinel lymph node biopsy.Ann Surg Oncol. 2008 Aug;15(8):2206-14. doi: 10.1245/s10434-008-9985-z. Epub 2008 May 30. Ann Surg Oncol. 2008. PMID: 18512102
-
Desmoplastic malignant melanoma: a clinicopathologic analysis of 113 cases.Am J Dermatopathol. 2008 Jun;30(3):207-15. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0b013e3181716e6b. Am J Dermatopathol. 2008. PMID: 18496419
-
Particularities in managing melanoma patients with tattoos: case report and review of the literature.J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2007 Dec;5(12):1120-1. doi: 10.1111/j.1610-0387.2007.06386.x. Epub 2007 Oct 5. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2007. PMID: 17919304 Review. English, German.
Cited by
-
Is Pediatric Melanoma Really That Different from Adult Melanoma? A Multicenter Epidemiological, Clinical and Dermoscopic Study.Cancers (Basel). 2023 Mar 18;15(6):1835. doi: 10.3390/cancers15061835. Cancers (Basel). 2023. PMID: 36980721 Free PMC article.
-
Melanoma in Adolescents and Young Adults: Evaluation of the Characteristics, Treatment Strategies, and Prognostic Factors in a Monocentric Retrospective Study.Front Oncol. 2021 Sep 16;11:725523. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.725523. eCollection 2021. Front Oncol. 2021. PMID: 34604064 Free PMC article.
-
Imaging of pediatric cutaneous melanoma.Pediatr Radiol. 2019 Oct;49(11):1476-1487. doi: 10.1007/s00247-019-04374-9. Epub 2019 Oct 16. Pediatr Radiol. 2019. PMID: 31620848 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Melanoma in children, adolescents and young adults: anatomo-clinical features and prognostic study on 426 cases.Pediatr Surg Int. 2019 Jan;35(1):159-165. doi: 10.1007/s00383-018-4388-0. Epub 2018 Nov 8. Pediatr Surg Int. 2019. PMID: 30411144
-
Spitzoid melanoma of childhood: a case series and review.Melanoma Manag. 2015 May;2(2):121-125. doi: 10.2217/mmt.15.6. Epub 2015 May 18. Melanoma Manag. 2015. PMID: 30190841 Free PMC article.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
