Abstract
A 34-year-old Japanese man had noticed a normal skin colored tumor on his right head about 4 years before, which gradually increased in size and elevated. At the initial consultation in our hospital, he had a soft peduncled tumor measuring 23×20×13mm, which was whitish and cauliflower-like. Clinical diagnosis was granuloma or malignant skin tumor, so biopsy was performed. Histological examination revealed the tumor to be an amelanotic malignant melanoma (AMM) in which melanin granules were not present, although S-100 protein and HMB-45 were found in the tumor cells. Surgical resection of the tumor was carried out along clinically 5cm normal skin margin. The skin defect remaining after tumor resection was covered with a skin graft and healed well. Two weeks after this surgery, Radical neck dissection was performed. There was no lymph node metastasis (0/58) . Accordingly, the diagnosis was an AMM with a pT4a, pN0, M0 (Stage III) . Sixteen months postoperatively, there has been no sign of recurrence.
