Alopecia Neoplastica Caused by Desmoplastic Melanoma

November 2003 in “ Australasian Journal of Dermatology ”

Kerry A. Crotty, William H. McCarthy, Michael Quinn, Stanley W. McCarthy

alopecia desmoplastic melanoma neurotropism hair follicles radiotherapy trigeminal nerve

TLDR A rare skin cancer caused hair loss and spread, needing multiple treatments.

A 50-year-old man experienced localized alopecia on the left frontal scalp for 6 months, which was diagnosed as desmoplastic melanoma with neurotropism upon biopsy. Despite wide excisions, the melanoma extended to the excision margins, infiltrating hair follicles and reducing their number. The patient underwent multiple wide excisions, left eye exenteration, and radiotherapy, but faced multiple recurrences and intracranial involvement of the trigeminal nerve. This case was notable as the first reported instance of desmoplastic melanoma presenting as alopecia.

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