Malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer. It is a malignant neoplasm derived from cells that are capable of forming melanin, which may occur in the skin of any part of the body, in the eye, or, rarely, in the mucous membranes of the genitalia, anus, oral cavity, or other sites. It occurs mostly in adults and may originate from a pigmented naevus or malignant lentigo. The incidence of malignant skin melanomas is rising rapidly in all parts of the world. There are four general clinical types of melanoma: superficial spreading, nodular, acrolentiginous, and lentigo maligna.
