Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in Pediatric Cutaneous Melanoma: Two Case Reports From the Moroccan Population

Although cutaneous melanoma (CM) is one of the most prevalent cancers in adults, it is rarely reported in children. Often, the diagnosis is delayed and difficult to make. We presented two novel examples of pediatric CM from the Department of Pediatric Plastic Surgery Unit at Rabat Children's Hospital. The first case included a 14-year-old girl who had a cutaneous nodule on her right leg. She first came with an inguinal enlargement, for which a lymph node biopsy was positive. A further inguinal dissection of 10 lymph nodes revealed four metastatic ones (4N+\10N). She received a wide local excision of the lesion, which revealed nodular melanoma with an 8 mm thickness as determined by Breslow, as well as safe lateral and deep margins. The course was distinguished by the emergence of new metastatic lymph node locations, and the patient died a few weeks later. The second case included a 13-year-old girl who appeared with a cutaneous lesion centered on a scar on her right leg. She also underwent a large local excision, which revealed nodular melanoma with a thickness of 12 mm according to Breslow, as well as complete lateral and deep excisions. Her follow-up revealed favorable results, with no local recurrence or distant metastases. This case series emphasized the difficult management of two separate occurrences of pediatric CM. We also emphasized the importance of early detection of suspicious lesions, regular follow-ups, and raising awareness among high-risk patients.