The Utility of Radiologic Imaging and Full Body Skin Examination in Patients With Melanoma of Unknown Primary

TL;DR

This paper presents a case where imaging and skin exams helped diagnose melanoma of unknown primary, highlighting their importance in staging and treatment.

Contribution

The paper emphasizes the combined use of PET-CT and full-body skin exams for diagnosing melanoma of unknown primary.

Findings

PET-CT identified a lesion on the patient's heel with an SUV max of 2.1.

The case supports the use of whole-body imaging for staging melanoma of unknown primary.

A full skin exam is critical to identify potential primary sites in MUP patients.

Abstract

Although most melanomas have a cutaneous origin, melanomas are rarely discovered without an overt primary site and are found in the metastatic stage. This phenomenon is called melanoma of unknown primary (MUP), which was first recorded in 1963.Melanoma can also rarely present as tumoral melanosis, which has completely regressed. By definition, this does not have viable melanocytes and histologically presents as an infiltration of melanophages and melanin. A 71-year-old female presented for dermatologic evaluation after being found to have melanoma of unknown primary (MUP). The MUP, located in multiple lymph nodes of the left superior and inferior inguinal region, was found on preoperative imaging indicated for surgical management of endometrial carcinoma. After the biopsy, a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan was performed to determine the extent of involvement, which noted focal uptake of the left heel of just medial to midline with an SUV max of 2.1. Based on the PET-CT findings, the patient was questioned about the lesion on her heel. She had suspected this was due to friction and stated it had been asymptomatic and present for years.

This unique case demonstrates that combined total skin examination and whole-body radiologic imaging (preferably PET-CT) are both critical elements in the evaluation of MUP. Since melanoma of unknown primary is at least American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8 Stage III (due to N1 status), imaging is reasonable in these patients.

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