Difference between revisions of "Melanocytic lesions"
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| <ref>WMSP P.501.</ref> | | <ref>WMSP P.501.</ref> | ||
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| | | Dysplastic nevus (Clark's nevus) | ||
| | | may be familial - precursor to melanoma | ||
| | | may have asymmetry in shape or pigmentation | ||
| | | melanocytes "bridges" btw sides of rete, "lamellar fibrosis" (collagen deep to epidermis), mod. atypia | ||
| | | melanocyte bridges, lamellar fibrosis | ||
| | | | ||
| | | <ref>WMSP P.502.</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Halo nevus | |||
| central zone of pigment | |||
| | | | ||
| | | lymphocytes at perimeter of melanocytic; epidermal melanocytes not nested; may be dermal, epidermal or both | ||
| | | lymphocytes +++ | ||
| | | | ||
| | | <ref>WMSP P.502.</ref> | ||
|} | |} | ||
Note 1: | Note 1: |
Revision as of 14:19, 13 May 2010
Melanocytic lesions are commonly encountered in dermatopathology and an area which causes some difficulty, i.e. it is hard to decide in some cases whether a lesion is benign (e.g. Spitz nevus) or malignant (malignant melanoma).
Overview
Identifying melanocytes
- Pigmented.
- Clear cytoplasm.
Benign lesions
Name | Clinical | Gross | Microscopic | Key feature | Image | |
Lentigo simplex | < 40 years | small flat pigmented lesion | sender rete with melanocytes; no nests of melanocytes; no dermal melanocytes | no nests, epidermis only | [1] | |
Junctional melanocytic nevus | usu. sun exposed skin, unusual in >50 years | small flat (uniformly) pigmented lesion | nests of melanocytes at tips of rete, no dermal melanocytes | nests in epidermis | [2] | |
Compound melanocytic nevus | small slightly raised (uniformily) pigmented lesion | nests of melanocytes at tips of rete and in dermis; dermal melanocytes lack nucleoli, lack mitoses and "mature with depth" -- see Note 1. | benign nests in dermis & epidermis | [3] | ||
Intradermal melanocytic nevus | Clinical DDx: fibroepithelial polyp (skin tag), basal cell carcinoma | raised, non-pigmented lesion | nested & individual melanocytes - only in dermis, +/- multinucleation, +/-pseudovascular spaces | nested & individual melanocytes - only in dermis | [4] | |
Spitz nevus (epithelioid and spindle-cell nevus) | Children & adolescents | usu. non-pigmented | spindled, epithelioid or mixed melanocytes, long axis of nests perpendicular to surface, superficial mitoses common | long axis of nests perpendicular to surface | Spitz nevus (drmihm.com) | [5] |
Pigmented spindle cell nevus of Reed (AKA Pigmented spindle cell nevus) | women in teens & 20s; location: shoulder, pelvic girdle region | Pigmented +++, small size | heavily pigmented spindle cells in epidermis & dermis, form "basketweave" pattern, nests (???) | nests of heavily pigmented spindle cells | Reed nevus - collection of images (histopathology-india.net) | [6] |
Blue nevus | usu. head & neck or extremities | blue flat or slightly raised lesion | dermal lentil-shaped nests, mix of spindle or dendritic or epithelioid cell morphology, nests btw collagen | lentil-shaped (ovoid) nests btw collagen bundles | [7] | |
Cellular blue nevus | congenital or acquired; usu. scalp or butt | blue flat or raised lesion | deep dermis; cells lack nucleoli; biphasic: (1) epithelioid cells with pale cytoplasm, (2) pigmented spindle cells +/- melanophages | dermal lesion with pigmented spindle cells & epithelioid cells | [8] | |
Congenital-pattern nevi | congenital or acquired | small, intermediate (2-20 cm) or large | extend along dermal structures (e.g. nerves, hair shafts, ducts); lacks atypia; +/-mitoses | growth along dermal structures | [9] | |
Dysplastic nevus (Clark's nevus) | may be familial - precursor to melanoma | may have asymmetry in shape or pigmentation | melanocytes "bridges" btw sides of rete, "lamellar fibrosis" (collagen deep to epidermis), mod. atypia | melanocyte bridges, lamellar fibrosis | [10] | |
Halo nevus | central zone of pigment | lymphocytes at perimeter of melanocytic; epidermal melanocytes not nested; may be dermal, epidermal or both | lymphocytes +++ | [11] |
Note 1:
- "Maturation" in the context of melanocytic lesions means (1) the cells get smaller with depth, (2) cells are less mitotic with depth.
Spitz nevus
- AKA epithelioid and spindle-cell nevus.
Epidemiology
- Children & adolescents.
Microscopic
Features:[12]
- Architecture:
- Nests of cells (spindle, epithelioid or spindle/epithelioid) - in both dermis and epidermis.
- Nests are vertically arranged, i.e. the long axis of the nests are perpendicular to the skin surface.
- Nest arrangement/orientation described as "cluster of bananas".
- Nests are vertically arranged, i.e. the long axis of the nests are perpendicular to the skin surface.
- Nests of cells (spindle, epithelioid or spindle/epithelioid) - in both dermis and epidermis.
- +/-Hyperkeratosis (more keratin, i.e. thick stratum corneum).
- +/-Hypergranulosis (thick stratum granulosum).
- +/-Acanthosis (thick stratum spinosum).
Images: