Acral lentiginous melanoma
Acral lentiginous melanoma is a kind of lentiginous skin melanoma. “lentiginous” means that the spot of melanoma is much darker than the surrounding skin. Interestingly, this type of melanoma is rare in people with lighter skin types and the most common subtype in people with darker skin. It is the most common form of melanoma diagnosed amongst Asian and sub-Saharan African ethnic groups. Until now the pathogenesis of acral lentiginous melanoma remains unknown and unidentified.
Acral lentiginous melanoma could be observed on
- Palms
- Soles
- Under the nails and in the oral mucosa.
Usually, it presents on non-hair-bearing surfaces of the body, which have not necessarily been exposed to sunlight. Additionally, It could be found on mucous membranes. The average age at diagnosis ranges from 60 and 70 years.
Acral lentiginous melanoma has the following signs
- Longitudinal tan, black, or brown streak on a nail
- Proximal nail fold Pigmentation
- Dark pigmentation of certain areas like hands and palms
In general, signs of new areas of pigmentation, or existing pigmentation should be taken seriously as it could be attributed to the acral lentiginous melanoma. Moreover, acral lentiginous melanoma if it was caught early, will have a similar cure rate as the other types of superficial spreading melanoma. but in general, Acral lentiginous melanoma is not dangerous; it only becomes potentially life-threatening if an invasive melanoma develops within it.
