Rare subungual amelanotic melanoma presenting as prolonged swelling and exudation after trauma: case report and literature review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Subungual amelanotic melanoma (SAM) poses significant diagnostic challenges due to its rarity and nonspecific clinical manifestations, such as nail dystrophy or indurated plaque.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 60-year-old woman with a three-year history of recurrent serous drainage and persistent pain in her left middle finger following an initial crush injury. Over a period of two years, she underwent three nail avulsion procedures, received systemic antibiotic therapy, and was treated with topical Chinese herbal therapies under a presumptive diagnosis of "chronic onychia following trauma" at a local hospital. Additionally, PET-CT imaging demonstrated localized inflammatory changes without evidence of neoplastic disease. Despite these interventions, t

SUBMITTER: An L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12510839 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature