Pigmented nail with atypical melanocytic hyperplasia

Abstract

We report two cases showing black discoloration of the thumb nail which were histologically found to be acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) in situ. A pigmented subungual lesion is more frequently malignant than benign and it is generally believed that diagnosis of subungual melanoma during the radial-growth phase is very difficult. Our cases are particularly interesting because atypical melanocytic hyperplasia was confined to the epidermis despite the lesion being present for a long time.