47-year-old male with superficial malignant melanoma of the trunk. After excision of the lesion, a sentinel lymph node biopsy revealed lymph node involved with multi-focal microscopic subcapsular tumor. Subsequently, a lymphadenectomy was performed and the patient initiated treatment with interferon A. As a consequence, he developed marked lymphedemia of the right leg.
A 58 year-old woman who first presented for evaluation of a bleeding pigmented lesion on the back. An excisional biopsy was performed and revealed a nodular melanoma. A wide excision was performed and no residual melanoma was identified. After a sentinel lymph node biopsy found to be positive, a completion of node dissection was performed and on pathological evaluation, total 6 of 17 lymph nodes contained melanoma.
Staging studies included whole body PET/CT scan and a head CT. FDG uptake by PET was noted in the left axilla only, with no evidence of more distant metastatic disease.
