Malignant melanoma in a tattoo: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Tattooing is a fairly widespread practice worldwide, despite the trauma it entails and the potentially toxic pigments it employs. Several benign and malignant lesions have been described in relation to tattoos, including verrucae, granulomas, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Overall, only 10 cases of malignant melanoma in tattoos are reported in the English literature. We describe a malignant melanoma that developed on a nevus on which a tattoo had been made. The possible pathogenetic relationship between malignant melanoma and tattoos is also discussed.