Superficial spreading melanoma


Superficial spreading melanoma is usually characterized as the most common form of cutaneous melanoma in Caucasians. The average age at diagnosis is in the fifth decade, and it tends to occur on sun-exposed skin, especially on the backs of males and lower limbs of females.

Signs and symptoms

Often, this disease evolves from a precursor lesion, usually a dysplastic nevus. Otherwise it arises in previously normal skin. A prolonged radial growth phase, where the lesion remains thin, may eventually be followed by a vertical growth phase where the lesion becomes thick and nodular. As the risk of spread varies with the thickness, early SSM is more frequently cured than late nodular melanoma.

Histopathology

The microscopic hallmarks are:
Treatment is by excisional biopsy, wide local excision and possibly sentinel node biopsy. Spread of disease to local lymph nodes or distant sites marks a decidedly poor prognosis.