Mohs Specialist | Mohs Surgeon | Houston | The Woodlands | Springs | Katy
Lentigo maligna (LM) is a subtype of melanoma in situ, and it has a slight female preponderance. Lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) is 1 of the 4 main subtypes of invasive melanoma and represents 5-15% of cases. The other types are superficial spreading (70%), nodular (10-15%), and acral lentiginous melanoma (5%).[3]
Lentigo maligna melanoma is most often found in the head and neck. Approximately 10-30% of all cutaneous melanoma arise in this region.
Sir John Hutchinson first described lentigo maligna in 1890; the disease continues to be called Hutchinson melanotic freckle on occasion. The Hutchinson melanotic freckle was originally thought to be infectious because of its slow yet progressive growth. The lesion has subsequently been characterized as malignant lentigo of elderly people, junctional nevus, and melanoma in situ. Most authors currently refer to it as lentigo maligna when it is confined to the epidermis and lentigo maligna melanoma when it violates the dermis.
