{"title":"An unusual case of metastatic melanoma in subcutaneous tissue presenting as a solitary cystic mass with fluid levels.","authors":"Catherine Cubitt, Sisith Ariyaratne, Sumathi Vaiyapuri, Vineet Kurisunkal, Rajesh Botchu","doi":"10.1007/s40477-023-00864-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Malignant melanoma is a common and often aggressive neoplasm of the skin arising from melanocytes. Metastatic melanoma is known for its diverse clinical manifestations, and can present with atypical features prior to diagnosis of the primary lesion, which can pose a diagnostic challenge. We report a rare case of metastatic melanoma in a 67 year-old male who presented with a painless, enlarging mass in the right axilla over a 4 week period. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed a well-defined solitary, cystic appearing lesion in the right axilla with a distinct fluid-fluid level. An ultrasound guided biopsy of the lesion diagnosed a metastatic melanoma. While haemorrhagic distant metastases are a well-recognised complication of malignant melanoma, particularly in the brain and lung, soft tissue metastases presenting with fluid-fluid levels is not well described in the literature. The case highlights the importance of considering the differential of melanoma metastasis when encountered with such a lesion and importance of ultrasound guided biopsy for histopathological confirmation, as the imaging features can mimic that of a haemorrhagic soft tissue sarcoma, the management of which differs substantially from that of melanoma.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11496403/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Ultrasound","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-023-00864-7","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/2/24 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is a common and often aggressive neoplasm of the skin arising from melanocytes. Metastatic melanoma is known for its diverse clinical manifestations, and can present with atypical features prior to diagnosis of the primary lesion, which can pose a diagnostic challenge. We report a rare case of metastatic melanoma in a 67 year-old male who presented with a painless, enlarging mass in the right axilla over a 4 week period. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed a well-defined solitary, cystic appearing lesion in the right axilla with a distinct fluid-fluid level. An ultrasound guided biopsy of the lesion diagnosed a metastatic melanoma. While haemorrhagic distant metastases are a well-recognised complication of malignant melanoma, particularly in the brain and lung, soft tissue metastases presenting with fluid-fluid levels is not well described in the literature. The case highlights the importance of considering the differential of melanoma metastasis when encountered with such a lesion and importance of ultrasound guided biopsy for histopathological confirmation, as the imaging features can mimic that of a haemorrhagic soft tissue sarcoma, the management of which differs substantially from that of melanoma.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Ultrasound is the official journal of the Italian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB). The journal publishes original contributions (research and review articles, case reports, technical reports and letters to the editor) on significant advances in clinical diagnostic, interventional and therapeutic applications, clinical techniques, the physics, engineering and technology of ultrasound in medicine and biology, and in cross-sectional diagnostic imaging. The official language of Journal of Ultrasound is English.