OBJECTIVE To investigate whether Spitz nevi with typical histopathological features in older patients demonstrate chromosomal aberrations by 4-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). DESIGN Retrospective medical record review, with prospective masked histopathological and cytogenetic analyses. SETTING University-affiliated dermatology and dermatopathology setting. PATIENTS Twenty...

Among all pathology fields, the analysis of melanocytic lesions has one of the highest rates of review for legal reasons, particularly regarding the distinction between nevus and melanoma (desmoplastic melanoma, nevoid melanoma, Spitz nevus vs. spitzoid melanoma, etc). Therefore, it follows that pathologists should pay special attention when dealing with such type of lesions. This lecture will ...

The new analysis of the expression of cell cycle regulators (used in various neoplasms) and the nominal immunohistologic assays still represent valid and feasible diagnostic methods in most pathology practice. We examined 114 paraffin-embedded histologic specimens of melanocytic cutaneous lesions. The primary objective of this study was to explore diagnostic potential of the two important cell ...

A 14-year-old girl with no past history of interest was seen for an asymptomatic lesion that had arisen on the helix of the auricle of her left ear 2 months earlier. The lesion had appeared during the month of August and had not changed since that time. Examination revealed an 8 mm nodular lesion with welldefined, slightly elevated borders and a central erosion (Fig. 1A). Epidermal hyperplasia,...

C-Kit (CD117), the receptor for the stem cell factor, a growth factor for melanocyte migration and proliferation, has shown differential immunostaining in various benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. The purpose of this study is to compare c-Kit immunostaining in benign nevi and in primary and metastatic malignant melanomas, to determine whether c-Kit can aid in the differential diagnosis ...

We present the case of 10-year-old girl who have had from birth a plane tumor, of tan color, 3-4 mm of diameter, localized on the face on the cutaneous part of the superior lip. This tumor has been stabile until 8-year-old. Then, after repeated sunlight exposures, the lesion has become more stark, hemispheric in shape, has increased in size becoming about 5-6 mm, with irregular borders, and aft...

Of 66 specimens from benign melanocytic nevi, including common acquired and congenital nevi, Spitz tumors (epithelioid cell nevi), and melanocytic nevi with dysplasia, 57 could be grown in tissue culture. The cultured cells were identified as melanocytes by the presence of premelanosomes and melanosomes. Cells from 28 of 32 nevus cultures grew in an anchorage-independent way in soft agar with a...