Acral lentiginous melanoma is a type of skin cancer.[2] It typically begins as a uniform brownish mark before becoming darker and wider with a blurred irregular edge, most frequently seen in the foot of a person with darker skin.[2] It may become bumpy and ulcerate.[2] Just under the nails and the fingers can also be affected, and it may spread.[2]
It arises from pigment cells (melanocytes).[7] Acral lentiginous melanoma is the most common subtype in people with darker skins and is rare in people with lighter skin types. Acral lentiginous melanoma is observed on the palms, soles, under the nails and in the oral mucosa. It occurs on non-hair-bearing surfaces of the body, which have not necessarily been exposed to sunlight. It is also found on mucous membranes.[8] The average age at diagnosis is between 60 and 70 years.[9]
Acral lentiginous melanoma is the most common form of melanoma diagnosed amongst Asian and sub-Saharan African ethnic groups.[10] 60% occur in the nails, palms and soles.[2] Males and females are affected equally.[2]
Warning signs are new areas of pigmentation, or existing pigmentation that shows change. If caught early, acral lentiginous melanoma has a similar cure rate as the other types of superficial spreading melanoma.[11]
Acral lentiginous melanoma may present as a dark mark under a nail, or a black mark in the nail fold at the end of a dark streak.[2] There may be Hutchinson's sign.[2]
Acral lentiginous melanoma is a result of malignant melanocytes at the membrane of the skin (outer layers).[3][4] The pathogenesis of acral lentiginous melanoma remains unknown at this time.[12]
Although the ideal method of diagnosis of melanoma is complete excisional biopsy,[13] alternatives may be required according to the location of the melanoma. Dermatoscopy of acral pigmented lesions is very difficult but can be accomplished with diligent focus. Initial confirmation of the suspicion can be done with a small wedge biopsy or small punch biopsy.[5] Thin deep wedge biopsies can heal very well on acral skin, and small punch biopsies can give enough clue to the malignant nature of the lesion. Once this confirmatory biopsy is done, a second complete excisional skin biopsy can be performed with a narrow surgical margin (1 mm). This second biopsy will determine the depth and invasiveness of the melanoma,[14] and will help to define what the final treatment will be. If the melanoma involves the nail fold and the nail bed, complete excision of the nail unit might be required. Final treatment might require wider excision (margins of 0.5 cm or more), digital amputation, lymphangiogram with lymph node dissection, or chemotherapy.[15]
The main characteristic of acral lentiginous melanoma is continuous proliferation of atypical melanocytes at the dermoepidermal junction.[16] Other histological signs of acral lentiginous melanoma include dermal invasion and desmoplasia.[17]
According to Scolyer et al.,[18] ALM "is usually characterized in its earliest recognisable form as single atypical melanocytes scattered along the junctional epidermal layer".
Therapies for metastatic melanoma include the biologic immunotherapy agents ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab; BRAF inhibitors, such as vemurafenib and dabrafenib; and a MEK inhibitor trametinib.[6]
↑ 3.03.1Brown, Kimberly M.; Chao, Celia (2014). Melanoma. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN9780323326834. Archived from the original on 2021-08-27. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
↑ 4.04.1Piliang, Melissa Peck (June 2011). "Acral Lentiginous Melanoma". Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. 31 (2): 281–288. doi:10.1016/j.cll.2011.03.005. PMID21549241. – via ScienceDirect(Subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries.)</