A Disguising Fast-Growing Metachronous Melanoma and COVID-19

Alina Avram; Lucian G Scurtu; Mariana Costache; Olga Simionescu

doi:10.7759/cureus.36108

A Disguising Fast-Growing Metachronous Melanoma and COVID-19

Cureus. 2023 Mar 13;15(3):e36108. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36108. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Alina Avram¹, Lucian G Scurtu¹, Mariana Costache², Olga Simionescu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology I, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, ROU.
² Department of Pathology, Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, ROU.

Abstract

An unusual case of a 52-year-old female with two metachronous melanomas is presented. An atypical fast-growing nodular melanoma appeared 18 months after the complete excision of an in situ melanoma and one month afterward a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Intra-nodal melanocytic proliferations were identified during lymph node assessment, raising important diagnostic and prognostic concerns. No melanoma susceptibility genes were found. This case report raises the question about the COVID-19 immunosuppression effect on the tumor microenvironment and the oncogenic potential of SARS-CoV-2. It also highlights the importance of clinical follow-up in melanoma patients, which was significantly delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: covid-19; malignant melanoma; multiple melanomas; nodular melanoma; sars-cov-2; skin cancer.

Publication types

Case Reports