Metastasis of an Untreated Thin Melanoma in a Very Elderly Patient

In 1983, an 88-year-old woman with a 0.2-mm thick melanoma on her neck was not treated due to her age and poor mental status. Despite the high likelihood of cure with simple excision, her family declined the procedure. The melanoma was left untreated, and over two years, it enlarged and metastasized. She died in 1986 from metastatic melanoma, with an autopsy revealing widespread organ involvement. This case illustrates that even thin melanomas can be lethal if untreated and supports the need for excision of such lesions regardless of patient age. The authors suggest that age should not be a deterrent to treating potentially curable melanoma, as the morbidity and mortality of untreated disease can be significant, even in the elderly.