Fatemeh Akbarian, MD,¹ Mehdi Aarabi, MD,² Ali Vahidirad, MD,³ Mehrdad Ghobadi, MD,⁴ Mohaddeseh Ghelichli MD,⁵
Mohammad A. Shafiee, MD, MSc, FRCPC,^6
1Dermatologist, Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. ²Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. ^3,4,5Joint, Bone, Connective Tissue Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. ⁶Division of General Internal Medicine, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Abstract
Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma has the highest morbidity and mortality among different types of skin cancers; as one of the most common malignancies in the world. Early detection and diagnosis of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma followed by adequate surgical excision are the most important tasks in management of this potentially curable skin cancer. Screening methods and diagnostic criteria including clinical and dermoscopic findings will be discussed in this article.
Keywords: Melanoma, Dermoscopy, UV Exposure, Epiluminescence Microscopy (ELM).

Patricia K. Long, FNP-C, Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
David W. Ollila, MD, Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

The incidence of melanoma continues to rise. The clinician needs to be familiar with characteristics of lesions more likely to be melanoma and be able to apply the “ABCDE” criteria. Additional imaging techniques such as digital photography and dermoscopy aid the clinician in deciding which nevi require biopsy. The techniques for biopsying cutaneous lesions vary, and clinicians need to be familiar with the various techniques. Once a cutaneous melanoma is diagnosed, the most important histologic feature of the primary is Breslow thickness.
Key words: melanoma, pigmented nevi, digital imaging, dermoscopy.