• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2009

Purpose: Malignant melanoma is recognized as the most serious skin cancer. We examined anatomical distribution and 5 - year survival rate of each stage of malignant melanoma on lower leg. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 91 patients(46 males and 45 females) with malignant melanoma on lower leg from 1985 to 2008. Age, sex, anatomical distribution and 5 - year survival rates of each stage of malignant melanoma on lower leg were investigated. Also, 5 - year survival rates of each stage and invasion depth of malignant melanoma on heel pad were investigated. Results: On lower leg, most frequently 32 cases(35.1%) occurred on heel pad, 27 cases(29.7%) occurred on dorsum of foot, 18 cases(19.8%) in toe and 14 cases(15.4%) on others in lower leg. We used the excision margin as 3 ~ 5 cm. After wide excision, in stage III, IV, the patients underwent the immunologic / chemo - therapy. The incidences of each stage were 22 cases(24.2%) in stage I, 47(51.6%) in II, 17(18.7%) in III and 5(5.5%) in IV. The 5 - year survival rates of each stage were 85%, 53.2%, 47.1% and 40%. On heel pad, the incidences of each stage were 5 cases(15.6%) in stage I, 19 cases(59.4%) in II, 7 cases(21.9%) in III and 1 case(3.1%) in IV. The 5 - year survival rates of each stage were 80%, 63.2%, 42.9% and 100%. On heel pad, incidence of local recurrence was 2 and 5 - year survival rate of this case was 100%. And systemic recurrence was 9 and 5 - year survival rate of this case was 55.6%. Conclusion: The 5 - year survival rate of malignant melanoma on heel pad was higher than previous study. To maintain the weight - bearing function of foot, we recommend the active reconstructive surgery for heel pad reconstruction after wide excision of heel pad malignant melanoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.289-291
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• 2004

Malignant melanoma develops from melanocytes and frequently metastases to other organs. Common metastatic sites are other skin, lymph nodes, lung, liver, brain and bone in decreasing order of frequency. Malignant pleural effusion is less frequent manifestation of thoracic metastasis. We experienced a 57-year-old man with pleural effusion who received radical resection with local flap on left foot due to acral lentiginous melanoma 3 years ago. He had progressive chest pain and left massive pleural effusion. The pleural cytology and biopsy showed malignant melanoma. After closed thoracostomy and talc pleurodesis, he refused further immunotherapy and chemotherapy and discharged.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2003

Malignant melanoma is one of the most rapidly increasing cancer types, and patients with metastatic disease have a very poor prognosis. Detection of metastatic melanoma cells in circulation may aid the clinician in assessing tumor progression, metastatic potential, and response to therapy. Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in melanine biosynthesis. The gene is actively expressed in melanocytes and melanoma cells. Melan A is a differentiation antigen that is expressed in melanocytes. The presence of these molecules in blood is considered a marker for circulating melanoma cells. In this study, we analyzed the usefulness of this marker combination I evaluating the response to therapy in the blood of 30 patients with malignant melanoma. Circulating cells were detected by a reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain reaction. The tyrosinase expression was observed in 9 (30%) patients and Melan A in 19 (63.3%) patients before therapy. Following treatment, the tyrosinase mRNA was detected in only one patient, while Melan A transcripts were still present in 14 patients. We suggest that this molecular assay can identify circulating melanoma cells that express melanoma-associated antigens and may provide an early indication of therapy effectiveness.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.235-238
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• 1975

The authors had treated a patient, 54years korean male, with malignant melanoma, egg sized, in the upper left molar region and hard palate. In the patient, radical operation was made by subtotal maxilectomy and prophylactic neck dissection. We could observe complete healing in the patient with malignant melanoma involving upper left molar region and hard palate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1106-1109
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• 1998

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus(PMME) is an uncommon neoplasm. And the world literature reports only about 200 cases. A case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is presented, and followed by review of the literature. In our patient, the walnut-sized melanoma was located at the midportion of esophagus and there were two small satellite lesions at the esophagogastric junction. The main mass was diagnosed as primary malignant melanoma histologically and immunohistologically. The tumor was curatively resected by the transthoracic subtotal esophagectomy and the 2 fields node dissection. Post- operative immunotherapy was performed but the tumor recurred 7 months later at the stomach.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.2
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• pp.387-393
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• 2022

Primary pulmonary malignant melanoma is an extremely rare type of melanoma. The radiologic features of primary pulmonary malignant melanoma are nonspecific; however, it almost always presents as a well-demarcated round or lobulated solitary solid nodule or mass. Herein, we report the case of a 78-year-old male with primary pulmonary malignant melanoma that was mistaken for primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth and was seen as bilateral multiple subsolid nodules on CT.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.389-395
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• 2000

Arare case of primary malignant melanoma of central nervous system in 12-month-old infant with neuro-cutaneous melanosis is presented. Primary malignant melanomas in central nervous system are very rare in children, however, it is known that leptomeningeal melanosis is malignant in 40-50% with neurocutaneous melanosis. Spinal MRI, brain CT and MRI showed diffuse intradural extramedullary mass of entire spinal cord and enhancing mass in brain stem. CSF cytology revealed abnormal cells. Biopsy from leptomeninges of posterior fossa was compatible with malignant melanoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5229-5232
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• 2012

The incidence of malignant melanoma increases with age. One significiant effect of aging processes is an accumulation of oxidative damage in the genetical material. In this study, the relationship between malignant melanoma and damage in chromosomes and proliferative effectiveness of human peripheral lymphocytes were investigated by the micronucleus (MN) technique. A total of 15 malignant melanoma patients and appropriately matching 15 healthy controls were involved in the study. MN frequencies and proliferative indexes (PI) after non toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide treatment were also measured to determine damaging effect of oxidative stress in genome in addition to measuring the spontenous levels of micronuclei and PI. The patient group had a significantly higher rate of spontaneous MN than the control group (p<0.01). After treatment with $H_2O_2$, MN frequencies in the patient group was significantly decreased (p<0.01) although there was no difference between the treated and untreated results of control group (p=0.29). There was also difference (p<0.01) between the MN frequencies of the patient and the control group either in the spontaneous levels or in the $H_2O_2$ treated groups. The same significant difference persisted when the PI values were compared between patient and control groups. Increase in the MN frequency in patients could mean the alterations in the chromosomal structure which may lead to the chromosome instability and therefore genetic susceptibility to cancer. This increased number of micronuclei can also be used for cytological marker in identifying high risk cases for malignant melanoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.409-413
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• 1999

Malignant melanoma develops from the melanocyte and the most common primary site is skin, followed by mucosa and retina. Even though any other tissue where melanocytes reside could be the primary site of the malignant melanoma, the one developed in the mediastinum is rarely reported. We experienced a patients of 54 years old woman whose initial symptom was progressive dyspnea for one month, and proved to have the anterior mediastinal mass with pleural effusion and the small mass in the abdominal soft tissue. The needle aspiration biopsy from the mediastinal mass showed the consistent findings with malignant melanoma. We concluded the mediastinum was the primary site of the malignant melanoma of this patient because we couldn't find any other evidence of primary tumor in skin, oral and gastrointestinal mucosa, and retina. She has been treated with combined chemotherapy with dacarbazine, cisplatin and vinblastine. Her symptom was improved after chemotherapy and follow up chest CT after three cycles of chemotherapy showed the decreased tumor size in the mediastinum.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.220-223
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• 2000

Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is a rare and usually lethal disease. Primary laryngeal malignant melanoma(LMM) are exceedingly rare tumors that morphologically are readily confused with more common types of laryngeal cancer. Treatment of choice for LMM is complete surgical excision and elective lymph node dissection is usually not recommended. The use of radiation or chemotherapy is generally thought to have no effect on local or distant disease and currently used as adjuvant therapy. The prognosis is extremely poor. We have experienced a 61 year old male patient with symptoms of foreign body and lump sense in throat. A dark pigmented polypoid mass was found on the right aryepiglottic folds with normal mobility of vocal cord. Total laryngectomy was performed under the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Bone scan revealed multiple bony metastasis on ribs and lumbar vertebrae after 5 months of operation. There have been no evidence of recurrence at primary area. The patient died after 8 months of operation.