Photo Rounds

Mole on back

While listening to a 41-year-old patient’s lung sounds, the family physician (FP) noticed a mole that “stood out” on the upper right area of his back. The slightly raised pigmented lesion was 1 cm in diameter. The FP applied a dermatoscope to the skin to look for suspicious structures.

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FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2

A closer look at the lesion (FIGURE 1) using the dermatoscope (FIGURE 2) revealed an atypical network, negative network, streaming pigment at the periphery, and a blue/white veil—suggestive of melanoma.

The FP performed a saucerization (scoop shave biopsy) and sent the full lesion to pathology. The report came back as a superficial spreading melanoma with a Breslow depth of 0.35 mm. The lesion site was then re-excised with 1 cm margins; no sentinel node biopsies were required.

In this case, listening to the lungs with the patient’s shirt off and noticing the "ugly duckling" lesion led to a lifesaving intervention.

Photos and text for Photo Rounds Friday courtesy of Richard P. Usatine, MD. This case was adapted from: Marghoob A. Dermoscopy. In: Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. The Color Atlas of Family Medicine. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2009:1019-1029.

To learn more about The Color Atlas of Family Medicine, see:

http://www.amazon.com/Color-Atlas-Family-Medicine/dp/0071474641

You can now get The Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app for mobile devices including the iPhone and iPad by clicking this link:

http://usatinemedia.com/

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