Delayed presentation of tattoo lymphadenopathy mimicking malignant melanoma lymphadenopathy

Tattooing is a popular cosmetic practice and the technique has been adopted in breast reconstruction. Pigment injected intradermally is transported to lymph nodes leading to permanent pigmentation. Differential diagnosis between melanoma and tattoo pigmentation of lymph nodes is done microscopically. We present the case study of a patient who presented with palpable and pigmented axillary lymph nodes, 2 years after excision of melanoma and 20 years after tattooing. Intraoperative finding of enlarged, pigmented lymph nodes is not a certain sign of metastasis, as causes other then melanoma can lead to pigmented lymphadenopathy. The diagnostic and investigation process should start with history (including history of previous tattooing) and fine needle aspiration (FNA) of enlarged lymph node. If FNA is negative an open biopsy should be performed for confirmation of diagnosis before proceeding to completion lymphadenectomy.