Melanoma associated with the use of melanotan-II

Case report: a 20-year-old woman developed cutaneous melanoma after melanotan-II self-injections combined with sun bed use, raising significant safety concerns.

Abstract

Unlicensed use of melanotan-II (MT-II) to promote skin pigmentation has become prevalent amongst young people attending fitness centres.. We present a case where the melanocyte stimulation of MT-II in combination with the use of sun tanning beds coincided with cutaneous melanoma.. A 20-year-old woman with Fitzpatrick skin type II was referred to a dermatology clinic.

Key Findings

Furthermore, her skin was universally intensely pigmented. | The melanocytic lesion was excised, and histology confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma. | Three months prior to the excision the patient had conducted a 3- to 4-week course of self-injections with MT-II, intending an augmentation

Study Design

Research study