A 56-year-old lady visits the office because she has a pigmented lesion on her back. She initially saw the lesion a year ago, and it has since grown in size. The patient's medical history is ordinary. The patient has spent the previous 30 years working as a forest service ranger and spending a lot of time outside. As illustrated in the exhibit, there is a huge irregular pigmented lesion on the upper back. as well as scattered patches of erythema and telangiectasias. Excisional biopsy of the lesion shows malignant melanoma. Which of the following is associated with the highest risk of metastasis for this patient's lesion?

Question

A 56-year-old lady visits the office because she has a pigmented lesion on her back. She initially saw the lesion a year ago, and it has since grown in size. The patient's medical history is ordinary. The patient has spent the previous 30 years working as a forest service ranger and spending a lot of time outside. As illustrated in the exhibit, there is a huge irregular pigmented lesion on the upper back.  as well as scattered patches of erythema and telangiectasias.  Excisional biopsy of the lesion shows malignant melanoma.  Which of the following is associated with the highest risk of metastasis for this patient's lesion?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Melanoma frequently has an early horizontal development phase with little metastatic potential, followed by a nodular, vertical growth phase with dramatically increased metastasis risk. The most important prognostic predictor in malignant melanoma is invasion depth (Breslow thickness).

A 56-Year-Old Lady Visits the Office Because She Has a Pigmented