Giele H, Hollowood K, Gibbons C L M H, Wilson D J, Athanasou N A
Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oxford, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK.
Skeletal Radiol. 2003 Dec;32(12):724-7. doi: 10.1007/s00256-003-0697-y. Epub 2003 Oct 8.
Osteocartilaginous metaplasia is known to occur rarely in melanomas, particularly in subungual melanomas. We present a case of a calcified subungual soft tissue tumour in which biopsy of the lesion showed malignant round and spindle-shaped tumour cells, many of which were associated with the formation of cartilage and osteoid-like material. Subsequent resection showed clear histological evidence of a subungual melanoma. Tumour cells expressed S100, melan-A and neurone-specific enolase but were negative for HMB45. Diagnostic radiological and histological features and the nature of the osteocartilaginous differentiation within this lesion is discussed.
