[Development of malignant melanomas on preexisting pigmentary lesions. Control of anamnestic data based on patients private photographic series].

We tried to confirm the anamnestical data of patients with malignant melanoma with the aid of private photos. The statement of the patients that a "birth-mark" was present before the development of the malignant melanoma could nearly always be corroborated by the photographs. The patients' statements that the tumor had developed in uninvolved epidermis in a relatively short time proved to be correct in many cases. In some cases, however, the "birth-marks" could be detected on the photographs at a time, when these marks were not yet recognized by the patients. According to the statement of the patients and the results of the pictures, lentigo maligna-melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma, and nodular melanoma can originate from a pre-existing pigmented spot or can develop in a relatively short time in uninvolved epidermis. In most cases of lentigo maligna-melanoma a long history and a slow tumor growth is stated. Generally the development of nodular melanoma is extremely short. In cases of superficial spreading melanoma the time of tumor growth was reported to be a few month or up to one or two years. In some cases, however, a much slower development of the tumor could be detected with the aid of the photographs.