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Brown skin colour is most often due to melanin, a protein produced in the epidermis by melanocytes. Various dermopathies have characteristic patterns of pigmentation.
For each of the twelve cases, study the image(s) and then answer the questions. You can click on the image to view a larger version if required.
Each case should take approximately 2 minutes to complete. There is a list of suggested further reading material at the end of the quiz.
Name this/these brown-coloured skin patch/es.
Melanoma
Describe the condition
Melanoma is malignant proliferation of melanocytes and is characterised by a slowly growing, irregularly pigmented macule or plaque. Melanoma in-situ may slowly enlarge over many years. The lesion illustrated has a single focus of invasive disease at 6 o’clock, and a contiguous superficial basal cell carcinoma at 7 o’clock.