Malignant melanoma (MM) is a rare tumor in children: approximately 2% of all MM occur under the age of 20 years. The risk of melanoma before the age of 15 years is about 1 per million in thạt age range. The incidence is seven times greater in the second decade than in the first. Delay in diagnosis is frequent, as pathologists and clinicians may be reluctant to make a diagnosis of MM in children. Because of their rarity, large studies of MM in childhood are scarce. Clinical photographs of lesions are lacking in many studies. Histological diagnosis of MM in childhood has been regarded as so difficult that some studies have only included patients with metastatic disease. Early diagnosis of MM is as vital in children as it is in adults, and although early lesions may provide diagnostic difficulties, valuable information will be lost by ignoring tesions which have not metastasized. We have had the opportunity of assessing the clinical and histological features of 24 pigmented lesions in children, which we consider, must be regarded as MM.
Methods
All cases of MM in children under 16 years old, whose histopathology slides had been examined in our department from 1981 to 1993, were reviewed. Clinical details and outcome were obtained from hospital case-notes, or by postal inquiry from the referring doctor. Information regarding the appearance of the lesion. presenting symptoms, history of severe sunburn, and features of dysplastic naevus syndrome, was specifically requested. The treatment carried out, and the date the patient was last seen were established.
Histology slides were reviewed. Special note was taken of architectural details, such as symmetry, growth pattern, pagetoid spread, intralesional transformation and expansile growth pattern, and of cytological details, such as cell type, pigment density and mitotic rate.
Results
Twenty-six cases of MM in patients aged 16 years or less were found in the histopathology records. Two were excluded because the diagnosis or age were incorrectly entered in the records. In four cases the patients had been seen in our department, and in 20 the histopathology slides were sent from other hospitals tor a dermatopathological opinion.
责任编辑：admin
上一篇：医学文章阅读——GALLSTONES
下一篇：医学文章阅读——HEPATITIS
微信公众号搜索“译员”关注我们，每天为您推送翻译理论和技巧，外语学习及翻译招聘信息。