SUBUNGUAL MELANOMA: DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE. REPORT OF A CASE

Abstract

Objective: presentation of clinical case of an atypical presentation of subungual melanoma in the context of a patient with a history of trauma in his left hand and nodular metastatic lesion in left axillary region. Methods: a case report of male patient aged 50 with a history of amputation of distal phalanx of the left hallux due to blunt trauma and osteomyelitis who reports onset of present illness by presenting
a nodular lesion in the left axillary region with progressive volume increase up to 10 cm diameter, attached to deep planes with peritumoral telangiectasias and spontaneous rupture with fibrinous and not fetid discharge outlet, with moderate intensity pain and ipsilateral upper limb functional limitation, which is why the patient is admitted to the hospital. Results: the biopsy of the lesion reported a malignant undifferentiated tumor with epithelioid pattern associated with positive outcome for vimentin and S-100 confirming the diagnosis of melanoma so it was decided to start cycles of radiotherapy. Conclusion: a differential diagnosis of the subungual melanoma could be a subungual hematoma but when there is radiographic evidence of bone destruction, we must take into consideration osteomyelitis, posttraumatic osteolysis or metastases from a primary tumor. In patients with subungual melanoma, lymph node metastases and a history of trauma in the primary tumor site, this entity must be considered in order to improve survival through early diagnosis.