Clinical and Histopathologic Features of Subungual Melanoma in 57 Mexican Patients: A 5-Year Cohort Study

Although subungual melanoma is uncommon, it is associated with worse outcomes than melanomas in other locations and accounts for 1% to 23% of all melanomas, depending on the population. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of subungual melanoma in a Mexican population. We identified 303 patients with melanoma, and of these, 19% (57 patients with a median age of 71 years) had subungual melanoma. The main sites affected were the lower limbs (52.6%) and the toe (75.4%). The most common histologic subtype was acral lentiginous melanoma (50.9%). Median Breslow thickness was 3 mm, and stage IA tumors were the most common (in 28.1% of patients). Recurrence and metastasis occurred in 19.3% and 8.8% of patients, respectively. The clinical and histopathologic features identified are similar to those described in the literature. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving prognosis.

[Translated article] Clinical and Histopathologic Features of Subungual Melanoma in 57 Mexican Patients: A 5-Year Cohort Study

Although subungual melanoma is uncommon, it is associated with worse outcomes than melanomas in other locations and accounts for 1% to 23% of all melanomas, depending on the population. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of subungual melanoma in a Mexican population. We identified 303 patients with melanoma, and of these, 19% (57 patients with a median age of 71 years) had subungual melanoma. The main sites affected were the lower limbs (52.6%) and the toe (75.4%). The most common histologic subtype was acral lentiginous melanoma (50.9%). Median Breslow thickness was 3 mm, and stage IA tumors were the most common (in 28.1% of patients). Recurrence and metastasis occurred in 19.3% and 8.8% of patients, respectively. The clinical and histopathologic features identified are similar to those described in the literature. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving prognosis.

Prevalence of subungual melanoma in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Subungual melanoma (SUM) is a rare type of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) associated with poor prognosis, while data regarding its prevalence are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to provide a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence rates of SUM among all types of CMM, considering certain demographic and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

The MEDLINE electronic database was searched systematically to identify eligible studies providing prevalence rate estimates of SUM in patients with CMM. Included studies were further analysed to estimate the relative prevalences of SUM according to study design, study years, geographical region and sex distribution.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The overall SUM prevalence was 1.9% (95% CI [1.5%-2.3%]). The prevalence of SUM did not differ significantly between population- and hospital-based studies and remained stable over time. However, it was found to be significantly higher in Asians compared to patients of other geographical regions as well as in studies with more men than women compared to those with female preponderance (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In all, the overall SUM prevalence among all subtypes of CMM was estimated at 1.9%, without significant changes over time, and was found to exhibit significant variability between subgroups of different geographical regions.

Unusual location of subungual melanoma surgically managed successfully: A rare case report from Syria

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), the least common subtype of cutaneous melanoma, poses challenges in early detection, resulting in low survival rates. Subungual melanoma (SUM), a rare form of ALM originating from the nail matrix, is less common on the hands than on the feet, accounting in the hands for only 0.3 % of all cutaneous melanomas. This makes the case of hand subungual melanoma that we are presenting very rare and significant.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 64-year-old woman presented with an asymptomatic subungual lesion on her left fifth finger. The lesion, ranging in color from brown to black, did not cause bleeding and exhibited a clear nail plate rupture. An incisional biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of subungual melanoma. The patient underwent a proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint amputation and remains in good health. Regular CT scans and clinical examination have shown no recurrence.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

Subungual melanoma, a rare subtype of acral lentiginous melanoma, comprises less than 1 % of all melanomas. While the Hallux and thumb are commonly affected, our case involved the little finger which is the rarest site of hand subungual melanoma. Occurrence ages are between 50 and 70. The Hutchinson sign, nail fold pigmentation, indicates poor prognosis in advanced stages, which was positive in our case. Recommended management is amputation at the level of the most distal unaffected joint.

CONCLUSION

Our aim is to raise healthcare professionals' awareness of early recognition and management of subungual melanoma. Early detection and treatment reduce metastasis risk and improve survival rates.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery Is Equivalent to Nail Unit Excision or Amputation for Melanoma In Situ of the Nail Unit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Local recurrence (LR) rates of melanoma in situ (MIS) of the nail apparatus treated with different surgical modalities are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the differences in LR rates of nail apparatus MIS treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) versus nail unit excision (NUE) versus amputation.

METHODS

Studies of nail/subungual MIS treated with MMS, NUE, or amputation were identified through multiple literature databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Pooled data were assessed through meta-analyses and Fisher exact test.

RESULTS

Of 280 studies identified, 20 met inclusion criteria (7 comparative studies and 13 single-arm studies). Among the 7 comparative studies, the LR was 4.38% (5/114) after NUE and 2.94% (1/34) after amputation (odds ratio: 0.937; 95% CI: 0.237-3.703). In the 13 noncomparative studies, 23 patients underwent MMS (pooled LR estimate: 11.07%; 95% CI: 3.22%-31.81%) and 140 patients underwent NUE (pooled LR estimate:8.04%, 95% CI: 4.43%-14.16%). The difference in LR rate between MMS, NUE, and amputation was not statistically significant ( p = .578).

CONCLUSION

Local recurrence of nail/subungual MIS in cases treated with MMS was not statistically different than in cases treated with NUE and was comparable to amputation. Further studies investigating the use of MMS for the treatment of nail/subungual MIS are warranted.

Clinical and dermoscopic features of nail unit melanoma in an Australian nail clinic cohort

Nail unit melanoma carries diagnostic challenges conferring with its poor prognosis. This audit aims to characterise both clinical and dermoscopic features of nail unit malignant lesions and compare them with biopsied benign lesions. It focuses on informing future practice by aiding in the stratification and recognition of malignant diagnostic patterns in the Australian context.

Evaluation of the Knowledge of Primary Care Physicians About Important Nail Diseases Before and After a Short Online Training

INTRODUCTION

Nail diseases are often diagnosed late with a potential prognostic and functional impact. This could be partly due to knowledge gaps among primary care physicians (PCPs).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the knowledge about diagnosis and management of ten common/important nail conditions in a population of French PCPs and its improvement after a 31-minute online training session.

METHODS

We submitted 10 pre-test and post-test clinical cases and an educative online course on the diagnosis and the management of nail diseases to 138 volunteer PCPs; 73 completed the whole training path.

RESULTS

Compared to pre-test, more PCPs in the post-test required an urgent second opinion to dermatologist for pigmented melanoma (100% versus 80.3%; P <0.05) and use of inappropriate/dangerous systemic treatment for trauma-induced nail changes was reduced after the training program (0% versus 6.8%; P <0.05). A lack of knowledge remained after training for amelanotic melanoma with an increase of mycological/bacteriological tests (9.6% versus 0%; P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Management of nail diseases by our panel of PCPs was suboptimal and was improved after a short online training.

A Rare Disease Presentation of Malignant Fungating Acral Melanoma of the Hand

Malignant melanoma is relatively uncommon and accounts for 1%-3% of all malignant tumors. Malignant melanoma of the hand is exceptionally rare and highly malignant, with rapid progression if left untreated. Early clinical symptoms can be overlooked, and the tumor is often at a late stage when patients seek care, prompting amputation of the affected region. We present a case of a 48-year-old man who presented with a rapidly progressive, large, fungating mass of the distal aspect of the little finger diagnosed as malignant melanoma. We describe the presentation and treatment of this patient, who ultimately underwent partial amputation of the fifth metacarpal. Histologic analysis demonstrated nodular melanoma.

Adult and Pediatric Nail Unit Melanoma: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Nail unit melanoma (NUM) is an uncommon form of melanoma and is often diagnosed at later stages. Approximately two-thirds of NUMs are present clinically as longitudinal melanonychia, but longitudinal melanonychia has a broad differential diagnosis. Clinical examination and dermoscopy are valuable for identifying nail findings concerning malignancy, but a biopsy with histopathology is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of NUM. Surgical treatment options for NUM include en bloc excision, digit amputation, and Mohs micrographic surgery. Newer treatments for advanced NUM include targeted and immune systemic therapies. NUM in pediatric patients is extremely rare and diagnosis is challenging since both qualitative and quantitative parameters have only been studied in adults. There is currently no consensus on management in children; for less concerning melanonychia, some physicians recommend close follow-up. However, some dermatologists argue that the "wait and see" approach can cause delayed diagnosis. This article serves to enhance the familiarity of NUM by highlighting its etiology, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment options in both adults and children.

Nail Apparatus Melanoma: Current Management and Future Perspectives

Nail apparatus melanoma (NAM) is a rare type of cutaneous melanoma that belongs to the acral melanoma subtype. NAM is managed principally in accordance with the general treatment for cutaneous melanoma, but there is scarce evidence in support of this in the literature. Acral melanoma is genetically different from non-acral cutaneous melanoma, while recently accumulated data suggest that NAM also has a different genetic background from acral melanoma. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the management of NAM. Localized NAM should be surgically removed; amputation of the digit and digit-preserving surgery have been reported. Sentinel lymph node biopsy can be considered for invasive NAM for the purpose of accurate staging. However, it is yet to be clarified whether patients with metastatic sentinel lymph nodes can be safely spared completion lymph node dissection. Similar to cutaneous melanoma, immune checkpoint inhibitors and BRAF/MEK inhibitors are used as the first-line treatment for metastatic NAM, but data on the efficacy of these therapies remain scarce. The therapeutic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors could be lower for NAM than for cutaneous melanoma. This review highlights the urgent need to accumulate data to better define the optimal management of this rare melanoma.

Metastatic Endometrioid Carcinoma Mimicking a Subungual Melanoma

CASE

We report a case of a 76-year-old female with a stage IB, grade I endometrioid endometrial carcinoma who presented with right-hip pain and an enlarging black, exophytic, subungual lesion on her right-small-finger distal phalanx. Clinically, the distal phalanx lesion was suspicious for a subungual melanoma; however, advanced imaging suggested metastatic disease, with lesions in the acetabulum, lungs, brain, vulva, and vagina.

CONCLUSION

Partial amputation of the right, small finger and vulvar biopsies confirmed an endometrial carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of endometrial adenocarcinoma metastasis to the phalanx of an upper extremity, mimicking a subungual melanoma.

Pigmented Nail Lesions: When to Observe, When to Biopsy, When to Widely Excise, and When to Amputate?

Pigmented nail lesions are challenging problems. The differential diagnosis is broad and ranges from common self-limiting conditions, such as subungual hematoma and infection, to potentially fatal conditions, such as subungual melanoma. Clinical assessment and adjuncts, such as dermoscopy and imaging, are usually insufficient to establish a diagnosis, and a nail bed biopsy is often required. However, this is not an innocuous procedure and may result in permanent nail deformity. In addition, subjecting every patient with nail pigmentation to a biopsy will result in an unacceptably high rate of negative test results. Furthermore, histopathologic diagnosis of subungual melanoma remains challenging for several reasons. Once the diagnosis of subungual melanoma is established, the definitive treatment is controversial because the existing guidelines have largely been adapted from those for cutaneous melanoma. This review presents an approach to the diagnosis and management of pigmented subungual lesions and subungual melanoma, in particular, on the basis of the latest available evidence.

Subungual Melanoma: A Single Institution Experience

Despite the changing paradigms of melanoma treatment in recent years, there remains a relative paucity of data regarding subungual melanoma in the literature. From 2002–2018, 25 patients with subungual melanoma were surgically treated at our facility. A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect relevant demographic, clinical, pathologic, and outcomes data. The median age at diagnosis was 69 years. Most patients (60%) were male, and the melanoma lesion was most often located on the foot (68%). Acral-lentiginous was the most common histologic subtype (59%), and the median Breslow thickness was 3.4 mm. Fifteen patients (63%) underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy as part of their surgical resection, and four of these patients (27%) had metastatic disease in the lymph nodes. In total, 10 patients underwent lymph node dissection of the involved basin. The median follow up was 21 months in this patient population. Age, gender, tumor location, ulceration, and lesion histology were not significantly associated with recurrence free survival (RFS). Increasing Breslow thickness was found to be significantly associated with shorter RFS (HR: 1.07, CI: 1.03–1.55). In total, 13 patients developed a disease recurrence, and RFS rates were 66% at 1 year and 40% at 3 years. Additionally, 91 and 37% of patients were alive at one year and three years, respectively. Subungual melanomas are rare lesions that often have a more advanced stage at diagnosis, which contributes to the poor prognosis of these cutaneous malignancies.

Melanoma of the Nail Apparatus: An Analysis of Patients' Survival and Associated Factors

BACKGROUND

There are no proper management guidelines for nail apparatus melanoma (NAM).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe the clinical features, the presence of locoregional and distant metastases and disease-free and overall survival of NAM treated at our institution.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort review of patients with single, primary localized histopathologically confirmed NAM was performed. Collected data consisted of patients' characteristics and tumor features. In addition, local recurrence, locoregional metastases, distant metastases, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were used as the main outcomes in our analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty patients with NAM were included. The overall survival (OS) in our patients at 5 and 10 years was 85.6 and 73.4%, respectively. DFS was significantly higher in patients with primary tumor location in the hand and without tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (p value = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). The patients with in situ melanoma or Breslow thickness <1 mm had a significantly higher chance of DFS and OS (90.0 and 94.1% at 5 years, respectively) than those with thicker NAM (58.3 and 55.6% at 5 years, respectively). A total of 53.3% of 30 patients underwent primary excision and covering with a full-thickness skin graft, while 13.3% of our 30 patients underwent digit amputation. The patients who underwent excision and covering with a full-thickness skin graft showed a complete overall survival (100% at 5 years).

CONCLUSION

Primary tumor location in the hand and lower tumor thickness might be correlated with better patients' survival. The study results suggest that total amputation might not be necessary in all NAM cases.

Predictor of Subungual Melanoma against Benign Longitudinal Melanonychia: A Retrospective Cohort Study from Korea

Background

Longitudinal melanonychia (LM) is a common clinical finding. Most cases of LM are benign, and a wait-and-see approach is preferred in the management of this condition. Nevertheless, it is important for clinicians to distinguish subungual melanoma (SUM) from other benign LMs.

Objective

To evaluate the demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of LM in the Korean population and to identify the predictor of SUM against other benign conditions.

Methods

This was a single-center retrospective cohort study including patients who underwent nail biopsy for LM from January 2000 to May 2019. To identify the predictor of SUM, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses was performed.

Results

A total of 68 cases of biopsy-proven LM were included in the analysis. Among the 68 cases, 8 were SUM. In univariable analysis, patients diagnosed with SUM were older (p=0.035) and had a longer disease duration (p=0.004). They also showed multicolor pigmentation of LM (p=0.022), a larger width of LM (p<0.001), and associated nail plate dystrophy (p=0.010) than patients diagnosed with benign conditions. In multivariable logistic regression, width of LM showed statistical significance (odds ratio, 1.083; 95% confidence interval, 1.018~1.153). ROC analysis suggested that an LM width >28% of the whole nail was the predictor of SUM (area under the curve=0.883; p<0.001).

Conclusion

SUM has distinct demographic and clinical features. The width of LM can predict SUM against other benign LMs.

Management of Nail Unit Melanoma

Nail unit melanoma is an uncommon form of melanoma with worse prognosis compared with nonacral cutaneous melanoma. Nail unit melanoma is often diagnosed at a late stage. Clinical and dermoscopic features may suggest a diagnosis of nail unit melanoma, but confirmation requires histologic analysis. Like the clinical diagnosis, histopathologic diagnosis of nail unit melanoma is also difficult. The surgical management of nail unit melanoma has evolved from aggressive amputations to digit-sparing approaches. This article reviews the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and surgical treatment of nail unit melanoma to promote early diagnosis and rational surgery.

Orthopaedic Manifestations of Melanoma and Their Management

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although commonly seen in dermatologist clinics, orthopaedic surgeons must be aware of these lesions in various ways. The five common musculoskeletal manifestations of melanoma will be discussed as well as the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and prognosis of melanoma. With an index of suspicion and awareness of melanoma, a thorough history and detailed physical examination are critical in establishing a diagnosis. An adequately performed biopsy will confirm the diagnosis and assist in determining prognosis. As ambassadors of health for the musculoskeletal system, orthopaedic surgeons may be the first practitioners to encounter a pigmented skin lesion. Acral pigmented lesions should prompt a concern for melanoma with appropriate subsequent steps for management to follow. Finally, it is important for every orthopaedic surgeon to consider disseminated melanoma in the differential diagnosis of a skeletal metastasis, a deep soft-tissue mass, or lymphadenopathy in a patient with a previous history of a melanotic lesion.