[Computed tomography evaluation of metastasis of cutaneous melanoma].

To assess the value of Computed Tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and in morphologic characterization of metastatic melanoma. The data of total body CT of 124 consecutive patients with melanoma having a Breslow index 1 mm or a positive sentinel lymph node have been retrospectively reviewed. The CT scan showed loco-regional and/or distant metastases in 36 patients (39%). Ten of these (28%) had metastases only to lymph nodes, whereas 26 patients (72%) had multiple metastases. Nodal, pulmonary, brain, subcutaneous, hepatic, adrenal, bone, gastrointestinal, breast and abdominal wall metastases were detected in 80.6%, 47.2%, 25%, 25%, 16.7%, 13.9%, 11.1%, 5.6%, 5.6% and 2.8% of the patients respectively. All the patients with metastases also had a positive sentinel lymph nodes and/or symptoms of metastatic disease. CT fails to reveal any characteristic feature of metastatic melanoma, but it is of value in the diagnosis of loco-regional and distant metastases in III stage disease.