Pyogenic granuloma-like lesion in children: Should we wait?

• Main Authors: Lai Kuan Chooi, Arman Zaharil Mat Saad, Shamala Durairajanayagam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2017-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
• Subjects: melanoma; paediatrics; pyogenic granuloma; spindle cell nevus
• Online Access: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/ijps.IJPS_25_17
• ISSN: 0970-0358; 1998-376X

Malignant melanoma is a potentially lethal cutaneous malignancy. Melanoma in paediatrics is rare as compared to adult melanoma. The clinicopathological characteristics of paediatric melanoma are different from adult melanoma, and the presence of melanoma mimics which occurs frequently in children (Spitz naevi) resulted in diagnosis uncertainty. We reported a 9-year-old girl who presented with a slow-growing, pyogenic granuloma-like lesion which was diagnosed with melanoma. It is important to have a high index of suspicion in paediatric skin lesion that would usually be deemed benign. Early tissue biopsy in a suspicious lesion prevents delayed diagnosis and treatment.