Inborn pigment skin malformation in a child: practice of diagnostics

Abstract

Background . Pediatric skin melanoma is very rare, it differs in a number of features from adult skin melanoma. Early diagnostics of this highly malignant tumor is a key prerequisite for effective treatment. The same methods are commonly used which are applied for diagnostics of adult melanoma in the course of diagnostics of skin melanoma in children. Appropriateness of this approach deserves validation. The aim of this work is to describe procedures of diagnostics of a pigment skin malformation in a child. Case report . Girl aged 5 months entered pediatric clinic of the FSBI “N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation with inborn tumor in a wrist joint area. Hemangioma had been suggested formerly at residence place. In the course of diagnostics in N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology the following complex of approaches was used: ultrasound scanning, magnetic resonance imaging, trepanobiopsy, open biopsy. Tissues from the latter were examined histologically on hematoxylin and eosin — stained slides. Immunohistochemical study was also done by means of revelation of determinants of cell proliferation, antigens of melanocytic differentiation, proteins commonly used as strictly melanoma markers as well as antigens of tissue compatibility. The conclusion was done about nodular pigment cell skin melanoma. Excision of the tumor was carried out. Relapse-free period lasts for 12 months at present. Conclusion . Procedures are described of diagnostics and treatment of a 5-month-old girl with skin melanoma in a wristjoint area. In the course of diagnostics approaches were used which are commonly applied when identifying a more frequent and better explored adult skin melanoma. Prolongation of studies is desirable to validate these approaches for diagnostics of pediatric pigment skin tumors.