Melanoma CT manifestations

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on November 25, 2024
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The CT manifestations of melanoma vary depending on the location of the tumor. Generally, melanomas that occur on the skin can appear on CT scans as mass-like lesions, and the scans can show whether there are any urgent conditions involving the surrounding nerves, blood vessels, and tissues. Some patients may only show CT imaging changes such as localized thickening of the skin. In melanomas that occur inside the skull or in the vulva, the CT mainly shows localized mass-like lesions. These lesions are typically low-density foci with poor blood supply around them, and they generally have an irregular shape.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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Does melanoma feel painful when pressed?

Melanoma is a highly malignant skin cancer, and clinically, some patients may experience pain when pressing on the lesion area. The reason for the pain is mainly due to the rapid growth of the melanoma, leading to compression of local tissues or the optic nerve and urgency, resulting in a painful sensation. This pain can exist even without pressing, and ulcerative lesions can occur in some affected areas, leading to symptoms such as pain, bleeding, and infection. In addition to pain upon local compression, patients with melanoma may also experience inflammatory changes such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain, causing some clinical symptoms of fever.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
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Melanoma deterioration symptoms

Patients with early-stage melanoma generally experience symptoms such as moles rapidly growing larger, changing in shape and color. Slightly more severe cases may exhibit signs like itching and bleeding. If the melanoma progresses, it might lead to non-healing ulcerations, repeated occurrences of satellite lesions, regional lymph node metastasis, and migratory metastasis. In advanced stages, patients may experience bone metastasis pain. Lung cancer metastasis might manifest as coughing and coughing up blood, and symptoms can vary depending on the site of metastasis.

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Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
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How long does it take for melanoma to develop?

The duration of melanoma development varies because melanoma is a type of skin cancer with a relatively high degree of malignancy. However, clinically, the types of melanoma are diverse, and the onset time generally correlates with the patient's clinical phenotype. For some superficial types of melanoma with low malignancy, it generally takes several years to develop. For highly malignant melanomas, the disease generally progresses rapidly within about six months to a year. Once melanoma progresses, it can affect multiple parts of the body and severely impact the patient's lifespan.

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Written by Huang Ling Juan
Dermatology
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Is melanoma flat or raised?

Melanoma is generally raised and does not have a fixed shape. In the early stages of local growth, melanoma appears flat. As the tumor grows and proliferates, some protrusions may occur, but protrusions should not be equated with malignancy. If a previously flat mole suddenly becomes raised, one should be vigilant about the possibility of malignancy. However, a raised mole is not necessarily melanoma; there are some intradermal nevi or benign skin lesions, and other types of skin cancers can also manifest as raised changes. Therefore, if there are some melanocytic nevi on the skin that quickly develop symptoms such as ulceration, bleeding, pain, or itching, it is important to promptly visit a dermatology department at a standard hospital for an examination and, if necessary, surgical removal and pathological investigation.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
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Can melanoma be detected by ultrasound?

Melanoma is a very serious disease, and if detected in its early stages, treatment should be sought promptly. If treatment is delayed, the effects of treating the disease in its advanced stages are not very good or significant. Melanoma is a type of malignant tumor that is prone to occurrence and poses a significant risk, endangering life. Generally, if melanoma is being tested, the Vacca double PAP immunoenzymatic marking method is used for detection.