A selected series of primary malignant melanoma of the skin, clinical stage I, was studied. The series includes 37 lentigo maligna melanomas, 301 superficial spreading malignant melanomas, 194 nodular malignant melanomas and 137 unclassifiable malignant melanomas. Dermal solar elastosis was graded. The most common finding was lack of solar elastosis which together with slight elastosis was mostly found on the trunks of young men and on the legs of young women in cases of superficial spreading malignant melanoma. Marked and moderate elastosis was found almost exclusively on the head, especially in old women with lentigo maligna melanoma. Nodular malignant melanoma was related neither to any special grade of solar elastosis, nor to localization, but showed some relation to the male sex after 50 years of age. The present study does not permit any conclusions to be made about a possible causal relationship between the three types of malignant melanoma and previous sun-exposure, because of lack of clinical information and a control series concerning solar elastosis in the normal population. Level of invasion and prognosis of the patient did not show any covariation with grade of solar elastosis.
