Amelanotic lentigo maligna melanoma:: Report of a case and review of the literature

Amelanotic lentigo maligna melanoma (ALMM) is an infrequent presentation of lentigo maligna melanoma, less than thirty cases having been reported to date. Hypopigmented or erythematous macules on the face of older women, resembling Bowen's disease or eczema, are the most common clinical presentation. We report a case of ALMM in a 73-year-old woman, Therapeutic trials with cryotherapy, 5-fluorouracil, and azelaic acid were unsuccessful, and the lesions were eventually cured by surgical excision. ALMM requires early clinical suspicion and histopathologic confirmation of diagnosis in every patient presenting with a slowly enlarging erythematous or hypopigmented macule, especially when located on the face of an older woman with a light complexion.