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Phys Topicsdermatological

Phys · dermatological

Malignant Skin Lesions

Also known as Malignant Skin Lesions · malignant skin lesions

Consultant-physician depth guide to Malignant Skin Lesions for FRACP DWE/DCE preparation — presentation, differentials, investigations, management, complications and exam angles.

medium9 referencesUpdated 26 July 202610 min readVerification in progress

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Target exams

FRACP DWEFRACP DCEMRCP Part 2ABIM Internal Medicine

Red flags

  • Missed urgency or delayed escalation in Malignant Skin Lesions turns a salvageable presentation into preventable harm
  • Treating the label without confirming the mechanism leads to wrong therapy in Malignant Skin Lesions
  • Ignoring multimorbidity and drug interactions while managing Malignant Skin Lesions is a classic exam and clinical trap
  • Failing to document the shared plan and safety-net advice after Malignant Skin Lesions loses follow-through
  • Using recalled thresholds without a cited source is forbidden — verify before acting
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Practise this topic

  • MCQ practice1
  • Short-answer question1
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  • Clinical case1

Target exams

FRACP DWEFRACP DCEMRCP Part 2ABIM Internal Medicine

Red flags

  • Missed urgency or delayed escalation in Malignant Skin Lesions turns a salvageable presentation into preventable harm
  • Treating the label without confirming the mechanism leads to wrong therapy in Malignant Skin Lesions
  • Ignoring multimorbidity and drug interactions while managing Malignant Skin Lesions is a classic exam and clinical trap
  • Failing to document the shared plan and safety-net advice after Malignant Skin Lesions loses follow-through
  • Using recalled thresholds without a cited source is forbidden — verify before acting
The one-line answer

Malignant skin lesions fall into three bins — non-melanoma skin cancer (BCC, SCC), melanoma (the killer), and the rare cutaneous malignancies (Merkel cell carcinoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, Langerhans cell histiocytosis). The move that wins every case: biopsy the changer, never watch it; suspect melanoma on ABCDE plus the ugly duckling sign; set the excision margin by Breslow thickness; and reach for Mohs on the face.[1][3]

Meet the patient

A 72-year-old renal transplant recipient on tacrolimus, mycophenolate and prednisone turns up with three keratoacanthoma-like nodules on his scalp and a firm left cervical node. He has spent his life outdoors. The registrar reaches for a topical antibiotic.[1][11]

The examiner's question on that ward round: "What do you biopsy, what do you stage, and what do you do about the immunosuppression?" This is the classic long-case trap — aggressive SCC in the immunosuppressed, where the same UV damage that gives you a BCC gives him a metastasising SCC.[1]

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References9ShowHide
  1. [1]Jones LS, McEldrew E, Bartus CL Review of Skin Depigmentation Practices and Cutaneous Malignancy J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2026.PMID 42459248
  2. [2]Alheggi A Artificial Intelligence in Inherited Epidermolysis Bullosa: Current Evidence, Challenges, and Future Directions Diagnostics (Basel), 2026.PMID 42449804
  3. [3]Ondrušová L, Kreisingerová K, Vachtenheim J MITF Is an Essential and Functionally Multifaceted Transcription Factor in Cutaneous Melanoma Cancers (Basel), 2026.PMID 42449703
  4. [4]Erdem S, Amparore D, Re C, Verep S, et al. What should the urologist know on the management of kidney cancer in patients with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome? Recommendations of the European Association of Urology (EAU) Young Academic Urologists (YAU) Renal Cancer Working Group World J Urol, 2026.PMID 42373875
  5. [5]Leru PM, Anton VF, Georgescu DG Severe Persistent Hypereosinophilia of Undetermined Significance: Diagnostic Challenges in Clinical Practice and Two-Year Follow-Up Rom J Intern Med, 2026.PMID 42335361
  6. [6]Nicer J, Kania J, Sobol M, Jurkiewicz D, et al. Impact of Anatomical Subsite on Achieved Surgical Margins in Head and Neck Basal Cell Carcinoma Otolaryngol Pol, 2025.PMID 42138045
  7. [10]Pennati F, Pedruzzi E, Botti P, Scolari C, et al. A challenging diagnosis of syphilis in a patient with a testicular lump: a case report BMC Infect Dis, 2026.PMID 42469661
  8. [11]Larkin J, Chiarion-Sileni V, Gonzalez R, et al. Combined Nivolumab and Ipilimumab or Monotherapy in Untreated Melanoma. N Engl J Med, 2015.PMID 26027431
  9. [12]Faries MB, Thompson JF, Cochran AJ, et al. Completion Dissection or Observation for Sentinel-Node Metastasis in Melanoma. N Engl J Med, 2017.PMID 28591523

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