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Cancers (Basel) 2022 Feb 18;14(4). Epub 2022 Feb 18.

ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, 08860 Barcelona, Spain.

Malignant melanoma (MM) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and around 30% of them may develop from pre-existing dysplastic nevi (DN). Diagnosis of DN is a relevant clinical challenge, as these are intermediate lesions between benign and malignant tumors, and, up to date, few studies have focused on their diagnosis. In this study, the accuracy of Raman spectroscopy (RS) is assessed, together with multivariate analysis (MA), to classify 44 biopsies of MM, DN and compound nevus (CN) tumors. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2021 Nov 11;57(11). Epub 2021 Nov 11.

Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-501 Krakow, Poland.

Epidemiologic data show significant differences in melanoma incidence and outcomes between sexes. The role of hormonal receptors in the pathogenesis of melanocytic lesions remains unclear, thus we performed this study aiming to assess estrogen receptors expression in different melanocytic lesions. We performed a cross-sectional study that included 73 consecutively excised melanocytic lesions. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2022 Jan 8;23(1):31. Epub 2021 Nov 8.

Department of Dermatology, 'Elias' Emergency University Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania.

Multiple primary cancers may occur in the same patient, with a prevalence that follows an ascendant trend. Their development is dictated by a complex interplay between a variety of factors, both patient-dependent and external. The case of a 38-year-old female patient diagnosed and treated for pancreatic cancer (PC) is presented in whom the digital dermoscopic monitoring of melanocytic nevi revealed a marked change of two nevi that acquired rapidly highly atypical features. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2022 Apr 22;49(4):343-349. Epub 2021 Nov 22.

Department of Pathology, Acıbadem University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.

Background: We aimed to determine whether the histopathological grading of dysplastic nevi is an objective endeavor, considering interobserver variability, according to 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria.

Methods: In total, 179 cases of dysplastic nevi, with high and moderate degree of atypia, diagnosed and graded according to the previous criteria were reviewed by three pathologists. Then, the observers graded the dysplastic nevi as low or high according to 2018 WHO criteria. Read More

Am J Surg Pathol 2022 04;46(4):476-485

Department of Dermatology.

The current classification of Spitz neoplasms in the World Health Organization (WHO), Fourth Edition defines Spitz neoplasms as melanocytic proliferations with characteristic Spitz morphology and a Spitz-associated genomic fusion or HRAS mutation. In contrast, melanocytic neoplasms with BRAF mutations are considered typical of common acquired nevi, dysplastic nevi, and melanomas from intermittent sun-damaged skin. However, increased utilization of ancillary testing methods such as BRAFV600E immunohistochemistry and sequencing studies have made apparent a subgroup of benign-grade and intermediate-grade melanocytic neoplasms with Spitzoid morphology that harbor BRAFV600E mutations. Read More

Pediatr Dev Pathol 2022 Mar-Apr;25(2):180-185. Epub 2021 Sep 22.

Institute of Pathology, Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.

Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL) or Haberland syndrome (MIM #613001) is a rare congenital neurocutaneous disorder. It is characterized by unilateral ocular, cutaneous and central nervous system anomalies. Key clinical features include hairless fatty tissue nevus of the scalp, choristoma of the eye and intraspinal and intracerebral lipomas. Read More

Skin Res Technol 2022 Jan 29;28(1):71-74. Epub 2021 Aug 29.

Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.

Background: Melanoma screening includes the assessment of changes in melanocytic lesions using images. However, previous studies of normal nevus temporal changes showed variable results and the optimal method for evaluating these changes remains unclear. Our aim was to evaluate the reproducibility of (a) nevus count done at a single time point (method I) versus two time points (method II); and (b) manual and automated nevus diameter measurements. Read More

Dermatol Pract Concept 2021 Jul 1;11(Suppl 1):e2021161S. Epub 2021 Jul 1.

Dermatology Clinic of Trieste, Maggiore Hospital, Piazza Ospitale 1, Trieste, Italy.

We are currently witnessing a worldwide increase in the incidence of melanoma. Incidence in Europe is about 25 cases per 100,000 population, while in Australia it reaches a rate of 60 new cases per 100,000. While the epidemiological curves of the 1980's and 1990's suggested an increase in the incidence of melanoma across all age groups, the last 10 years' data indicates a 5% reduction in the incidence of thin melanoma in young individuals aged between 15 and 24. Read More

Hautarzt 2022 Jan 21;73(1):88-92. Epub 2021 Jul 21.

MVZ Dermatopathologie, Friedrichshafen/Bodensee, Deutschland.

Surg Pathol Clin 2021 Jun 28;14(2):341-357. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address:

Dysplastic nevi are distinctive melanocytic lesions in the larger group of atypical nevi. They often are multiple and sporadic with genetic features intermediate between common acquired nevi and melanoma. Dysplastic nevi may be multiple, familial, and seen in patients with familial melanoma syndrome. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2021 Sep 27;48(9):1204-1207. Epub 2021 Jun 27.

Department of Dermatology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

It is important for the dermatopathologist to be adept in differentiating tissue artifacts from normal tissue variants and pathologies. Numerous tissue artifacts have been described to date; however, once we are familiar with the common artifacts that appear in our practice, we may not immediately recognize other confounders. For example, dermatopathologists in more temperate regions of the country may not be familiar with freezing artifact. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2021 Nov;43(11):794-800

Departments of Dermatology, and.

Abstract: In their 2018 article, Lezcano et al [AJSP 2018(11):1456] show that diffuse tumor cell nuclear reactivity for Preferentially expressed Antigen in Melanoma (PRAME) is a feature of melanoma and that benign and atypical melanocytic tumors are PRAME negative or show only focal positivity for PRAME. We report our observations of PRAME staining in 253 melanocytic tumors. Tumors were classified by hematoxylin and eosin sections. Read More

Arch Dermatol Res 2022 Mar 17;314(2):159-165. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 676 N. St. Clair Street, Suite 1765, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.

Background: It is our experience that parakeratosis with pagetosis is common in early melanoma when there is no history of trauma in the anatomical site. In lesions where the differential diagnosis includes dysplastic nevus (DN) and melanoma, we hypothesize that parakeratosis may be a marker for cases in which immunohistochemistry (IHC) may identify occult pagetosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective case-control study on cases with a histologic differential diagnosis of DN versus melanoma, including 423 cases with parakeratosis and 125 cases without parakeratosis. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2021 Aug;43(8):601-603

Center for Dermatology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Somerset, NJ.

Dermatol Ther 2020 11 10;33(6):e14503. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

Private Practice, Izmir, Turkey.

Regular dermatological examination for patients with dysplastic nevi is indicated. However, the literature on whether those patients should also be examined by ophthalmologists or not regarding a relation between suspicious lesions for ocular melanoma and cutaneous dysplastic nevi is limited. In this study, we aimed to compare the findings of a single ophthalmologic examination between the group of patients with multiple atypical nevi with at least one histopathologically proven dysplastic nevus and another group without atypical nevi. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Dec 8;47(12):1143-1149. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Sydney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Background: Pagetoid Spitz nevus is a rare subtype of Spitz nevus usually found on the lower extremities, particularly on the thigh of women. As a rare and under-recognized entity that can be misdiagnosed as melanoma, further characterization of clinical and histopathological features is needed to improve its recognition.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all melanocytic neoplasms from the thigh diagnosed over a 3-year period. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Dec 14;47(12):1132-1142. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Background: Fusions involving the BRAF gene are responsible for 5% of Spitz neoplasms. To better characterize them, we report the clinical, morphological, and genomic findings of six BRAF fusion Spitz tumors.

Methods: The morphological, clinical, and molecular findings of six BRAF fusion Spitz neoplasms assessed by next generation sequencing (NGS) were compared to a control set of Spitz without BRAF fusions. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2020 Dec;42(12):961-966

Sikl's Department of Pathology, Medical Faculty in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Pilsen, Czech Republic.

BRCA1-associated protein (BAP1)-inactivated melanocytic tumor (BIMT) is a group of epithelioid melanocytic neoplasms characterized by the loss of function of BAP1, a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 3p21. They occur sporadically or in the setting of an autosomal-dominant cancer susceptibility syndrome that predisposes to the development of different internal malignancies. Most of these cutaneous lesions are associated with a BRAF-mutated melanocytic nevus and therefore are included in the group of combined nevi in the last WHO classification of skin tumors. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Dec 10;47(12):1123-1131. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.

Background: PRAME (PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma) has shown utility in distinguishing melanoma from benign melanocytic lesions, but knowledge of its expression pattern in intermediate melanocytic and spitzoid proliferations is limited.

Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of PRAME was examined in 112 melanocytic proliferations with intermediate histopathologic or spitzoid features.

Results: Any intensity of nuclear PRAME staining in at least 60% of lesional melanocytes was determined as the best threshold for diffuse staining in this cohort. Read More

Pediatr Dermatol 2020 Sep 14;37(5):890-895. Epub 2020 Jul 14.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Keratinocytic epidermal nevi (KEN) are characterized clinically by permanent hyperkeratosis in the distribution of Blaschko's lines and histologically by hyperplasia of epidermal keratinocytes. KEN with underlying RAS mutations have been associated with hypophosphatemic rickets and dysplastic bone lesions described as congenital cutaneous skeletal hypophosphatemia syndrome. Here, we describe two patients with keratinocytic epidermal nevi, in one associated with a papular nevus spilus, who presented with distinct localized congenital fibro-osseous lesions in the lower leg, diagnosed on both radiology and histology as osteofibrous dysplasia, in the absence of hypophosphatemia or rickets, or significantly raised FGF23 levels but with distinct mosaic HRAS mutations. Read More

Actas Dermosifiliogr (Engl Ed) 2020 Oct 7;111(8):688-689. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 27;84(4):1134-1136. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. Electronic address:

J Dermatol 2020 Sep 18;47(9):1054-1057. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.

Melanoma incidence is increasing globally with Australia having the highest incidence in the world. Pregnancy-associated melanoma is recognized in the published work; however, significant knowledge deficiencies exist. We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with dysplastic nevus syndrome who over a 15-year period developed a total of nine melanomas, with eight clustered around an 18-month peri- to post-partum period. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Dec 6;47(12):1150-1154. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Deep penetrating nevi (DPN) are dermal-based, heavily pigmented melanocytic proliferations primarily resulting from mutations in B-catenin and BRAF or, less commonly, NRAS. DPNs are considered to be intermediate grade tumors which are stable with low risk of malignant transformation. The precise risk for transformation is unknown. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2020 Oct 21;83(4):1028-1034. Epub 2020 May 21.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address:

Background: Atypical network encompasses several patterns. Few studies assess the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of network subtypes.

Objective: We assessed the diagnostic value of atypical network subtypes and their histopathologic correlates in cutaneous melanocytic lesions. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2020 Oct 19;83(4):1035-1043. Epub 2020 May 19.

The Kittner Skin Cancer Screening & Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Background: Melanoma in situ and dysplastic nevi with severe atypia present overlapping histopathologic features. Reflectance confocal microscopy findings can be integrated with the dermatopathology report to improve differentiation between melanoma and dysplastic nevi with severe atypia.

Objective: To compare prevalence of reflectance confocal microscopy findings between melanoma in situ and dysplastic nevi with severe atypia. Read More

Virchows Arch 2020 Jul 9;477(1):121-130. Epub 2020 May 9.

School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.

Overlapping histological features between benign and malignant lesions and a lack of firm diagnostic criteria for malignancy result in high rates of inter-observer variation in the diagnosis of melanocytic lesions. We aimed to investigate the differential expression of five miRNAs (21, 200c, 204, 205, and 211) in benign naevi (n = 42), dysplastic naevi (n = 41), melanoma in situ (n = 42), and melanoma (n = 42) and evaluate their potential as diagnostic biomarkers of melanocytic lesions. Real-time PCR showed differential miRNA expression profiles between benign naevi; dysplastic naevi and melanoma in situ; and invasive melanoma. Read More

J Invest Dermatol 2020 11 28;140(11):2298-2301.e3. Epub 2020 Mar 28.

Department of Dermatology, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

J Cutan Pathol 2020 Jul 17;47(7):664-666. Epub 2020 Mar 17.

Surgical Pathology Department, Pathology Institute of Araçatuba, Araçatuba, Brazil.