Histologic mimics of malignant melanoma

Although spongiotic (eczematous), psoriatic and cutaneous skin infections are among the most common in dermatology consultations, melanocytic lesions - including the different types of nevi and melanomas - are among those that cause a great deal of concern and stress to patients and their clinicians. A diagnosis of benign melanocytic nevus carries a very good prognosis. However, a diagnosis of melanoma might indicate more aggressive treatment, lifelong surveillance and a worse prognosis. Differentiating between these conditions is not always a straightforward process for clinicians and pathologists. Therefore, knowledge of melanoma mimickers is very important for clinicians in general, and dermatologists and pathologists in particular. In this review, we called attention to some of the more frequent benign but unusual melanocytic lesions that are of diagnostic concern for clinicians evaluating these cutaneous proliferations.

Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus in a Child / 대한피부과학회지

No abstract available.

A Childhood Case of Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus for Whom Dermoscopy Was Used as an Adjuvant Diagnostic Tool / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented spindle cell nevus (PSCN) is a solitary heavily pigmented macule or papule that usually occurs on the lower legs of women in the second decade of life. Histologically, fascicles of uniform, elongated, pigmented nevoid cells at the dermo-epidermal junction tend to fuse with neighboring nests. PSCN should be differentiated from Spitz nevus, dysplastic nevus, and malignant melanoma. For making the differential diagnosis of PSCN from malignant melanoma of nevoid cells, the overall symmetry, relative uniformity, maturation with depth and no nuclear atypia are important clues. A 3-year-old girl presented with a black papule on the anterior aspect of the ankle. We diagnosed PSCN by the histologic findings and the specific "starburst" dermoscopic pattern.

A Case of Pigmented Epithelioid Cell Nevus / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented spindle cell nevus was described as a variant of spindle and epithelioid cell nevus (Spitz nevus). However, it hs been classified as a separate disease because of the presence of large pigmented cells confined to the epidermis and papillary dermis. Pigmented epithelioid cell nevus is considered as a counterpart to pigmented spindle cell nevus, because it has similar clinicopathologic features to those of pigmented spindle cell nevus, except for tumor cells being entirely composed of large epithelioid cells. Herein, we report a case of a 31 year-old woman with a deeply-pigmented nodule which was entirely composed of large epithelioid cells, and showed many histologic findings of pigmented epithelioid cell nevus.

A Case of Typical Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented spindle cell nevus is a rare lesion characterized by uniform, expanding, heavily pigmented macule or papule, usually located on the thigh of a woman in the second and third decade of life. It is often misdiagnosed as Spitz nevus or malignant melanoma. A 30-year-old woman presented with black, smooth macule on her thigh. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis as pigmented spindle cell nevus. This is thought to be a more typical case than previously reported two domestic cases.

Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus of the Palpebral Conjunctiva

PURPOSE: Pigmented spindle cell tumor of the palpebral conjunctiva is very rare, and most of the tumors arise at extremities or trunk. To our best knowledge, no case has been repoted in Korea so far. We report one case of pigmented spindle cell nevus with literature review. METHODS: A 21 years-old male patient complaining of mass on the left upper palpebral conjunctiva underwent excisional biopsy with minimal touch technique. RESULTS: On histopathologic examination, the mass consisted of small, regular and spindle cells with pigmentation. And HMB-45 and CD-34 stains were negative, while S-100 stain was weakly positive. CONCLUSIONS: We report one case of pigmented spindle cell nevus as the first case in Korea.

Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus in an Infant / 대한피부과학회지

Pigmented spindle cell nevus (PSCN) was first described by Reed et al. in 1975 as a distinctive form of nevocellular nevus. Although some authors consider PSCN to be a pigmented variant of Spitz nevus, most classify it as a separate disease. We encountered a two year old boy with deeply pigmented macule on the left foot dorsum. It's histologic features were sharply demarcated lateral margin, confinement above reticular dermis and entirely composed of heavily pigmented spindle cells. There were no atypical mitotic fugures or nuclear pleomorphism, and cell size was uniform. The pathologic features were consistent with PSCN.

A Case of Pigmented Spindle Cell Nevus / 대한피부과학회지

We report a case of pigmented spindle cell nevus which occurred in a 4-year-old male. Several months earlier, his mother noticed a 3x3mm sized annular, hyperpigmented macule on his right thigh. Histopathologic findings showed nests of spindle cells with sharply defined lateral margins in the dermoepidermal junction and cleft around the spindle cell nests with heavy melanin pigmentation.

A case of pigmented spindle cell nevus / 대한피부과학회지

We report a case of pigmented spindle cell nevus occurred in a 4-year-old girl. The lesion was well-demarcated, 2.5 x 3mm sized black macule on the left thenar area. The histopathologic findings of excisional biopsy specimen revealed the prociferation of uniform spindle-shaped pigmented melanocytes at the dermoepidermal junction and sharply definded lateral margins.

Clinical and Histopathological Observation on Benign Melanocytic Tumor and Malignant Melanoma ( 1974 ~ 1984 ) / 대한피부과학회지

This clinical and histopathological study was performed with 147 cases of benign mielanocytic tumors and 19 cases of malignant melanomas, which were obtained as surgical specimens from 1974 to 1984 at Department of Clinical Pathology, Catholic Medical College. The results were as follows: 1, In 89 cases of acquired benign melanocytic nevi, the average age of intradermal type(64 cases) was 34. 7 years and that of compound type(24 cases) was 24. 6 years. 2. In 30 cases of congenital nevus, nevus cells were present in the lower two thirds of reticular layer of the dermis in 93. 3% and in the subcutis as well in 3.3%. A case of giant congenital nevus with balloon cell appearance was found. 3. Of the 147 benign melanocytic tumors, a pigmented spindle cell nevus and a desmoplastic nevus were observed. 4. Blue nevi were 11 in number and excised from the face in 7, buttock in 2, shoulder in 1, upper arm in 1, and all were common type histopathologically. 5. Twelve malignant melanornas which were possible to be re-examined histopathologically were composed of 5 nodular type, 3 acral lentiginous type, 1 superficial spreading type and 3 metastatic malignant melanoma.