Radiography and CT of the chest in malignant melanoma

A prospective study of twenty-one patients with proven malignant melanoma carried out over the past three years compares the use of plain chest radiographs, conventional linear tomograms and computed tomograms for identification and evaluation of thoracic metastasis. Prior to surgical resection of the primary melanoma all patients had negative high quality chest radiographs. Nineteen patients also had preoperative conventional or computed tomograms which were negative for thoracic metastasis. Follow-up chest radiographs and computed tomograms revealed thoracic metastasis in ten patients (48%). It is concluded that although a high percentage of patients with malignant melanoma eventually develop pulmonary metastasis, chest tomographic studies are unlikely to provide clinically useful new information at the time of preoperative assessment if the preoperative chest radiograph is negative