SINUS HISTIOCYTOSIS MIMICKING METASTATIC MELANOMA IN LYMPH-NODES OF A PATIENT WITH A LARGE JOINT PROSTHESIS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Malignant melanoma metastases to regional lymph nodes may be mimicked by several non-neoplastic processes, including sinus histiocytosis induced by fragments shed from joint prostheses. A patient who had an elective lymph node dissection for malignant melanoma and was found to have ''post-prosthesis lymph node histiocytosis'' resembling metastatic disease is described. Knowledge of the patient's past history of a total shoulder joint replacement along with the use of polarized light microscopy to identify birefringent particles of prosthetic debris allows for an accurate histologic diagnosis. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.