Desmoplastic Melanoma Presenting as an Alopecic Patch in a Young Patient

    June 2023 in “ JAAD Case Reports ”
    Lauren C. LaMonica, Margaret E. Lang Houser, Emily H. Smith
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    TLDR A man had a rare skin cancer that looked like a bald spot.
    The document discusses a unique case of a 43-year-old male who had Desmoplastic Melanoma (DM), a rare type of melanoma, which manifested as a patch of hair loss on his scalp. The 3x2 cm alopecic patch did not respond to topical steroids. A histopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of DM, with the disease invading to a Breslow depth of 5.7 mm. The patient underwent a wide local excision of the primary site and a full-thickness donor graft from the right supraclavicular region was used for closure. A biopsy of 2 right neck lymph nodes showed no signs of malignant spread. The document underscores the significance of tissue sampling in alopecia cases with an unusual clinical progression.
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