American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol 170, 459-463, Copyright © 1998 by American Roentgen Ray Society

ARTICLES

Superficial melanoma metastases: appearances on gray-scale and color Doppler sonography

LN Nazarian, AA Alexander, AB Kurtz, DM Capuzzi Jr, NM Rawool, KR Gilbert and MJ Mastrangelo
Department of Radiology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5244, USA.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic appearances of melanoma metastases of the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and superficial lymph nodes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gray-scale sonography was performed on 31 superficial melanoma metastases in 18 patients. Discreteness of borders, contours, echogenicity, echotexture, and degree of acoustic through-transmission were evaluated for each lesion. Color Doppler sonography was also performed on 25 of the 31 lesions, by which the amount of internal color flow was qualitatively assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight (90%) of the 31 metastases had well- defined borders. Contours were smooth in 17 (55%), lobulated in 12 (39%), and spiculated in two (6%). Nineteen metastases (61%) were hypoechoic to muscle, 10 (32%) were isoechoic, and two (6%) were hyperechoic. Echotexture was homogeneous in six lesions (19%), mildly heterogeneous in 13 (42%), moderately heterogeneous in 11 (35%), and markedly heterogeneous in one (3%). Twenty-two lesions (71%) showed enhanced acoustic through-transmission. Of the 25 melanoma metastases for which we performed color Doppler sonography, 18 (72%) had internal arterial color flow and seven (28%) did not. The flow was characterized as mild in 13 (72%) of 18, moderate in four (22%), and marked in one (6%). CONCLUSION: On sonography, superficial melanoma metastases typically are well-defined hypoechoic lesions with smooth or lobulated contours, mild to moderate heterogeneity, and enhanced acoustic through- transmission. Internal flow revealed by color Doppler sonography is present in many, but not all, superficial melanoma metastases.
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