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Background: Traditionally melanoma has been considered as a radioresistant tumor. However, recent observations regarding radiobiology and clinical response of melanoma have prompted physicians to re-evaluate the role of radiotherapy in the management of melanoma. Indeed, radiotherapy is frequently used in the treatment of metastatic melanoma but the role of this therapeutic approach in the primary tumor management is unclear. We report 4 cases of thick primary melanoma treated by interstitial brachytherapy., Case Reports: Four patients (3 men, 1 woman; age: 73, 74, 79, 84 years), three with lentigo maligna melanoma and one with nodular melanoma, were treated exclusively by interstitial brachytherapy. The thickness of the 4 tumors was more than 3 mm. This treatment was chosen either because of the impossibility of conservative surgery or because of a contraindication for general anesthesia. Median follow-up was 48 months [18 to 65 months] and we did not observe any local tumor relapse. The cosmetic and functional results of this therapy were excellent., Discussion: These four cases illustrate the possibility of obtaining good local control of thick primary melanoma by interstitial brachytherapy where surgery is impossible, although without challenging the standard surgical therapy for primary melanoma. Before our study, this treatment was used only in one study to treat melanoma patients. In this case however, interstitial brachytherapy was accompanied by surgery. Therefore, the findings reported here are the first to demonstrate the efficacy of this treatment when used as the sole treatment for primary melanoma. In conclusion, where surgery is difficult or impossible, interstitial brachytherapy may be used to treat primary melanoma with excellent local tumor control and a good cosmetic outcome.

Introduction: Venous malformations are usually easy to recognise. We describe one case in which the clinical aspect was suggestive of Maffucci's syndrome., Observation: A 44-year-old male, had numerous angiomatous nodules which could be emptied by pressure since infancy. The progressive increase in volume of these lesions on the arms and forearms led to enormous deformation and major disability. The thoracic area and the right foot were also affected to a lesser degree. Two endobuccal lesions were also found on the clinical examination The cutaneous lesions were tender and occasionally hyperhidrosis was present. The presence of phleboliths on Xray and the presence of venous and capillary cavities with numerous thrombi confirmed the diagnosis of venous malformation. Following the failure of the Ethibloc(R) embolization, eight excisions were made in a two-year-period with a good functional result. Elastic strapping was then applied., Discussion: The diagnosis of venous malformation was based on clinical, radiological and histological findings. The absence of chondroma excluded the diagnosis of Maffucci's syndrome. Spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, "blue rubber bleb nevus" and glomangiomatosis were confirmed by the histological findings. The absence of port-wine stain or bone hypertrophy and the presence of multiple nodules excluded Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome. The presence of multifocal involvement with oral lesions, the severity of the deformation and the relative success of the surgical procedure make this case unusual.