[The primary cutaneous melanoma. Clinical aspects and histopathology, basis for prognosis]

There are 4 distinct forms of primary cutaneous melanoma: superficial spreading melanoma (SSM), lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) and nodular melanoma (NM); they differ in case history, clinic and histology. Only nodular melanoma shows a one-phase growth pattern: intraepidermal growth only occurs in connection with dermal invasion. The prognosis of the different melanoma forms however does not depend on the melanoma type but in the first place on the depth of invasion. The location of the primary and the surgical procedure are decisive only in the second place besides further histological features. Therefore early recognition is the most important method to further increase the survival rate of primary cutaneous melanoma: by periodical precautionary clinical examination of the high risk groups and by histological examination of suspicious pigmented nevi.