Detection of occult melanoma by preoperative positron emission tomography-computed tomography and intraoperative ultrasonography.

Background: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has become a common imaging modality for detecting metastatic melanoma. However, the identification of lesions intraoperatively can be difficult.

Objective/methods: We describe an innovative multimodality approach to tumor localization using preoperative PET-CT and intraoperative ultrasonography and describe cases in which this technique was used.

Results: The use of these two modalities together enabled resection of multiple occult metastatic lesions in the patients presented.

Conclusion: The use of this multimodality approach will be important in ensuring that all known metastatic disease sites are resected and represents an important concept in the setting of metastatic melanoma resection.