What tests should be done if melanoma is suspected

Melanoma is a relatively common tumor disease in clinic. This disease occurs more often in middle-aged and elderly people, and is more common in men than in women. The occurrence of this disease will have a serious impact on the patient's health. If it is not treated in time, it will directly endanger life. Therefore, if you have this disease, you should go to a regular hospital for an examination in time. So, what examination items should be done if you suspect melanoma? The following is a detailed introduction for everyone.

What tests should be done if melanoma is suspected

1. Pathological examination: This is a reliable method for examining melanoma and is also the main method for differential diagnosis. When conditions permit, suspicious lesions should be removed including the entire thickness of the tumor and the infiltrated tissues of all layers of the skin, and a biopsy should be performed to obtain a pathological diagnosis. Avoid needle aspiration, scraping, forceps extraction, incision or punching biopsy to prevent the spread of lesions.

2. Electron microscopy: This is one of the examinations that melanoma patients need to undergo. Experts say that this method can be used to observe the characteristic melanosomes of malignant melanoma at different stages of development, which can be used to identify other tumor cells and melanophages, observe immunoenzyme labeling (S-100), monoclonal antibody HMB-45 and flow cytometric DNA analysis, which is of diagnostic value for confirming malignant melanoma.

3. X-ray examination: X-ray examination can detect possible asymptomatic lung metastasis. If metastasis is indicated, lung tomography or CT scan should be used to confirm it.

4. Serum alkaline phosphatase or lactate dehydrogenase measurement: This method can effectively evaluate liver involvement. Patients with increased or decreased body weight, anorexia, upper abdominal pain and other symptoms should undergo liver B-ultrasound and abdominal CT scan.

5. Self-examination: mainly to check whether there are new moles or pigmented spots, whether the size, shape, color or texture of the original moles or pigmented spots have changed, whether there are symptoms such as persistent pain, etc. If any abnormality is found, you should go to a regular hospital for treatment immediately.

6. Urine examination: If a large amount of melanogen and its metabolites appear in the urine and the urine is dark, it is possible that the patient has malignant melanoma. In addition, X-rays, B-ultrasound, CT, MRI and radionuclide scanning can be performed to determine whether the melanoma has metastasized.

7. Histopathology: In typical melanomas of patients with malignant melanoma, abnormal proliferation of melanocytes can be seen under the microscope. Some cell nests are formed in the epidermis or at the junction of the epidermis and dermis. These cell nests vary in size and can fuse with each other. This situation is rarely seen in pigmented nevi. Therefore, it can be used to determine whether a deteriorated melanoma has occurred. The size and shape of the melanocytes in the nests, as well as the shape of the nucleus, vary to varying degrees. Mitosis (including abnormal mitosis) is more common than in benign pigmented nevi. The nucleolus is usually eosinophilic "bird's eye-like". In invasive melanoma, melanoma cells can be seen in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue.

The above content tells you what tests you need to do if you suspect melanoma. I hope it will be helpful to you. However, the harm caused by melanoma is very great. In daily life, you should learn to prevent this tumor disease, understand what tests melanoma patients should undergo, and go to a regular hospital for examination in time if similar symptoms occur. Actively cooperate with professional doctors for treatment, so as to effectively reduce the harm of the disease.