Melanomas of the lower extremity among native Puerto Ricans

The clinical features of 57 melanomas of the lower extremity occurring in native Puerto Ricans were studied. Whereas most melanomas of the lower extremity among Caucasians occur above the ankle, the group studied showed a predilection for the foot, particularly in the minimally pigmented zones (sole, heel, and nail bed), a distribution similar to that reported in black patients. The possibility that pigment-deficient areas may represent the target organ for sunligh-induced melanomas in Negroes and dark-skinned subjects is discussed.