Malignant melanoma of soft parts. A "non plastic surgeon's land"?

Malignant melanoma of soft parts (MMSP) (or "clear cell sarcoma") is a very rare tumour that shows up without primitive skin involvement (except in subcutaneous prolongations of deep tumours), mostly predominant in the extremities of young adults. Eight files of MMSP were studied retrospectively. The mean patient is a male of 35 years old affected in an extremity (four upper, three lower and one gluteal), according to classical descriptions. The importance of radical surgery in these cases has been extensively established. Confronted with these cases, the plastic surgeon must be aware of the specifics of this rare entity to ensure its proper inclusion in his clinical suspicion. Just in case.