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Even though malignant melanoma accounts for 4 % of all skin cancers, it is the type responsible for most deaths. The pathogenesis of melanoma is currently not well understood, although an interaction of environmental and genetic factors doubtlessly plays a role. Molecular biology in medicine has progressed increasingly rapidly in recent years. In dermatology, application of molecular biology techniques to the study of malignant melanoma has led to important advances in our knowledge of the main molecular pathways implicated in its development. These findings not only can improve our knowledge of the pathogenesis of the disease but may also have practical implications. Thus, molecular characterization of malignant melanoma may be of great help in differentiating between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions when histopathological features prove insufficient as is the case, for example, in Spitz nevus and spitzoid melanoma. In addition, knowledge of the abnormal molecular pathways in different malignant melanoma lesions can point to new therapeutic targets for treating patients with melanomas with distant metastases, in whom current chemotherapy has failed to extend life expectancy. At present, lack of availability is the main barrier to use of these techniques in dermatology--they are often limited to research, so not generally available in most hospitals. This problem will, however, be overcome when the molecular patterns become standardized, allowing a prognostic and therapeutic characterization of this important disease.