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Desmoplastic neurotropic melanoma presenting as pilonidal sinus: A rare clinical association

  • Ori Berger
  • , Igor Lerner
  • , Gilbert Ohana
  • , Igor Sinelnikov
  • , Ran Talisman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathology Background: Pilonidal Sinus (PNS) is a small cutaneous orifice in the intergluteal region; symptoms include pain and swell-ing. Disparately, desmoplastic neurotropic melanoma (DNM) accounts for 1% of all melanomas and mostly occurs in the head and neck region. Because its appearance is generally benign, it typically comes to surgical at-tention only at an advanced stage or after recurrence. A perineural involvement occurs in 30-40% of the cases and is accompanied by symptoms such as paresthesia, paresis, and/or paralysis. To the best of our knowledge, the association between PNS and DNM has not been described in the literature before. Here, we present a patient with PNS that was diagnosed with DNM. Case Report: A 31-year-old healthy man presented with coccydynia and sacral cyst that had been present for about a year. While the initial diagnosis was of a PNS, after excision and biopsy, the pathology changed to PNS with DNM. The patient underwent a work-up for distant metastasis, which was negative. Wide local excision (WLE) with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was also performed. Conclusions: Due to the malignant potential of PNS, we support the routine of pathological examination of excised speci-mens. Once DNM is diagnosed, work-up for distant metastasis and further treatment with WLE as well as SLNB are recommended. The current report describes an association between PNS and DNM. While coccydynia may have been caused by the PNS or the melanoma, the presence of the PNS helped with an earlier diagnosis of the melanoma. Further research on the possible causative relationship between the conditions is required.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere932922
JournalAmerican Journal of Case Reports
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2021
Externally publishedYes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • Colorectal Surgery
  • Melanoma
  • Pilonidal Sinus
  • Surgery, Plastic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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