Delayed presentation of tattoo lymphadenopathy mimicking malignant melanoma lymphadenopathy

Adverse Reactions after Tattooing: Review of the Literature and Comparison to Results of a Survey

“…In addition, such pigments can be decomposed during light exposure into hazardous aromatic amines and can be disseminated throughout the human body [3]. Many pigments and, consequently, the decomposition products have been found in the lymph nodes [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Thus, the tattoo inks, impurities and decomposition products get in close contact with the immune system.…”

Clinical Cytology in the Diagnosis and Management of Melanoma

“…Gathering appropriate history is also of relevance in differentiating melanin pigment from that of tattooing. Tattooing (intradermal injection of an exogenous pigment) is known to cause discoloration of the draining lymph nodes resulting in so called 'tattoo lymphadenitis' (Bordea et al, 2009). Anthracotic pigment, the other exogenous pigment, generally does not cause diagnostic difficulty, as it is confined to the alveolar macrophages of the respiratory cytologic samples;…”

Tattoo Pigment Lymphadenopathy

“…In 2006, 24% of Americans aged 18 years to 50 years reported having one or more tattoos, equally common between men and women. 3 In their case report published in this month's issue (see p. 442), Beavis et al present a case of vulvar cancer in which extensive bilateral groin lymphadenopathy was clinically presumed to represent lymph node metastasis. 1,2 The pigment of permanent tattoos is deposited in the dermis.…”

“…There have been a number of case reports of tattoo pigment in lymph nodes mimicking malignant melanoma, 3,5 and, as Beavis et al outline, lymph node calcifications due to tattoo pigment have been mistaken for metastatic breast cancer on screening mammography. 6 To date, there is no evidence that tattoos cause dermatologic malignancy.…”