The Clinical Significance of Urinary Neopterin in the Follow-up of Patients after Exeresis of a Malignant Melanoma

Abstract

Serial urinary neopterin determinations were performed in 151 patients after exeresis of a malignant melanoma. Values for patients clinically free of disease at the end of the observation were similar to those of healthy subjects. No significant varia tions were observed in patients with cutaneous meta stases. The most important variations were found in patients who developed ganglionic and above all visceral metastases. These data suggest that neopterin determination could be very useful in the follow-up of patients with a malignant melanoma and especially for detecting visceral metastases occurences.