Acral melanoma simulating warts: dermoscopic clues to prevent missing a melanoma

Acral melanoma may adopt a variety of clinical characteristics simulating other tumors, ulcers, hemorrhage, or infections. In the Caucasian population health care providers often misdiagnose acral melanoma, and this is the cause of inadequate treatments. Clinical and dermoscopic clues can be easily recognized, which help to prevent missing a melanoma.

To study the clinical and dermoscopic findings in three cases of acral melanoma simulating warts that had been treated by dermatologists with curettage and cryotherapy.

Clinical and dermoscopic study of the tumors and review of the most frequent simulators of acral melanoma reported in the literature.

In all three tumors, hyperkeratosis and the lack of specific pigmentation were observed. The parallel ridge pattern, revealed by dermoscopic examination, precipitated the recognition of acral melanoma.

In these cases that presented atypical characteristics of acral lesions, therefore challenging the diagnostic process, dermoscopic examination helped to confirm an accurate diagnosis of acral melanoma.