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Monster cells in malignant melanoma.
Alan S Boyd1, Huiyun Wu, Yu Shyr
1Department of Medicine (Dermatology), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. alan.boyd@vanderbilt.edu
The American Journal of Dermatopathology
|May 19, 2005
Summary
Monster cells, characterized by enlarged nuclei, are now described in cutaneous melanomas. These cells are more common in nodular melanomas and associated with deeper invasion and ulceration.
Area of Science:
- Dermatopathology
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Pleomorphic or "monster cells" with enlarged nuclei are known in other skin tumors.
- These cells have not been previously documented in cutaneous melanomas.
- Understanding their prevalence and associations in melanoma is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of monster cells in primary cutaneous melanomas.
- To investigate the association of monster cells with melanoma subtypes and histopathologic features.
- To establish if monster cells are a significant finding in melanoma biopsies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 99 primary cutaneous melanoma biopsies.
- Evaluation included superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, and acral lentiginous melanoma/lentigo maligna subtypes.
- Histopathologic features assessed: monster cells, multinucleated giant cells, ulceration, inflammation, and Breslow depth.
Main Results:
- Monster cells were identified in 13 out of 99 melanoma cases.
- A significant association was found between monster cells and nodular melanoma subtype (P = 0.0125).
- Monster cells correlated with ulceration (P = 0.0127), increased depth of invasion (P = 0.0103), and multinucleated giant cells (P = 0.0016).
Conclusions:
- Monster cells are not uncommon in cutaneous melanomas.
- Their presence is significantly associated with nodular melanoma, ulceration, and greater tumor depth.
- Monster cells may serve as an additional histopathologic marker in melanoma diagnosis and prognostication.