Thursday, May 27, 2010

Melanomas. Stay out of tanning beds....

Melanomas do occur in the foot. The following pictures are patients of mine where melan
omas were diagnosed. The image between the toes was discovered early enough to be treated with primary excision and was considered cured. The second image was obviously too far advanced when they presented to me. If you see moles or discolored lesions on your feet, or any areas of your body, watch them closely. Follow the ABCD's:
A: Asymmetry. If you draw a line through the mole it should look the same on both sides.
B: Borders. The borders should be smooth and regular.
C: Color. The color should be one color and uniform.
D: Diameter. No larger then a pencil eraser.

There is variance in these rules and melanomas can occur in moles that do not fall into this category. If a new mole appears on a non sun exposed area, it is worth having it examined. When in doubt we always biopsy them as early detection is the best and easiest treatment.