Melanoma-simulating nodules due to capillary aneurysms.

Six cases of a lesion simulating a melanoma clinically but due to an aneurysmal dilatation of a capillary with thrombosis are presented. The necessity of distinguishing these tumors from malignant melanomas is stressed. The thesis that every black, flat, growing lesion is not a melanoma is emphasized. Therefore, it follows that wanton sacrifice of adjacent normal tissue is not indicated in such lesions unless there is histologic proof or indisputable clinical evidence of malignancy. This is not to be construed as advocating that one should minimize the growing flat black nodule nor that histologic examination is not essential in such cases.