[Is acrolentiginous melanoma (ALM) more malignant than superficially spreading melanoma (SSM) at a high-risk site? A matched-pair comparison between 113 ALM and SSM within the scope of a multicenter study].

Even today, the prognosis of acrallentiginous melanoma (ALM) remains a controversial topic. We present a large case study including all known factors relevant for prognosis. 113 ALMs in 3616 melanoma patients were paired as precisely as possible with their twins, i.e. with 113 superficial spreading melanomas (SSM) from a group of 619 SSMs with high-risk location. The ALMs and SSMs were equivalent in tumor thickness, patient gender and mode of treatment. The follow-up period was for at least 5 years. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival curve in both groups are identical. The poor prognosis often ascribed to ALM results from the prognostic factor location. ALM should therefore be regarded as acral localized melanoma.