Amelanotic spitzoid melanoma in a prepubescent boy

The diagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM) in children is difficult due to its uncommon occurrence as well histological similarities to Spitz nevus. A case of MM of the foot in an 11-year-old boy is reported illustrating the histological overlap between Spitz nevus and MM. In our patient, both the primary foot lesion and the regional inguinal metastases were amelanotic, further increasing the diagnostic difficulty. The literature on MM in children is limited and the documentation of such unusual cases is necessary to improve the knowledge on this disease.