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Diagnosis of superficial spreading melanoma in the early stage is often difficult, even with dermoscopy. We report the case of a 37-year-old Japanese woman with superficial spreading melanoma in her left buttock. The lesion developed 20 years before becoming visible and gradually enlarged over the past few years without any symptoms. Physical examination showed a well-demarcated dark-brown macule 10 mm in diameter. Dermoscopy demonstrated a central dark area with a blue-grey structureless area, a milky-red area with irregular blue-grey dots or globules suggestive of regression structures, and multifocal black pigmentation with whitish scaly areas. An abrupt intralesional change in color from a central dark area to a peripheral light-brown area was also seen. The peripheral area showed an atypical pigment network with an obscure mesh and holes. Histopathologic examination of the lesion showed acanthosis with melanocytic proliferation and nuclear atypia, a band-like lymphocytic infiltrate, melanophages and a few nests of melanocytes just beneath the epidermis. The epidermal melanocytes were positive for S-100, Melan-A and HMB-45, but the dermal nests of melanocytes were negative for HMB-45 and positive for S-100 and Melan-A. A diagnosis of superficial spreading melanoma with a tumor thickness of 0.4 mm (pT1aN0M0, stage 1A) was established based on the clinical, dermoscopic and histopathologic findings. This case suggests that dermoscopy is useful in the diagnosis of this condition. An abrupt intralesional change of color might be a new indicator of early superficial spreading melanoma.

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