Acral melanoma
Acral melanoma, sometimes called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma
(ALM) is a rare type of malignant melanoma. In this type of melanoma, the word
“acral” refers to the occurrence of the melanoma on the palms or soles. It also
can develop under the finger or toe nails2.
The word “lentiginous”
means that the spot of melanoma is much darker than the surrounding skin. It
also has a sharp border between the dark skin and the lighter skin around it.
This contrast in colour is one of the most noticeable symptoms of this type of
melanoma. Acral melanoma is the most common type of melanoma among people with
darker skin. Unlike cutaneous, acral melanoma is not believed to be caused by
exposure to the sun or other sources of ultraviolet radiation3.
