This large lesion is mostly amelanotic but there is sufficient pigment at the borders and across the middle to make melanoma a reasonable diagnosis. The superficial ulcerations over the amelanotic part inferiorly suggest a bad prognosis as well as the vertical growth phase of the melanotic nodule superiorly. A clearing zone is noted around the lesion. The malignant melanoma is a very serious and aggressive form of skin cancer. It is responsible for approximately eight thousand deaths a year and appears as an irregularly shaped area of uneven coloring.

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