Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
11:02
The Three-Dimensional Human Skin Reconstruct Model: a Tool to Study Normal Skin and Melanoma Progression
Published on: August 3, 2011
Melanocytic nevi with nonsurgical trauma: a histopathologic study
Maria Angelica Selim1, Robin T Vollmer, Christopher M Herman
1Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. selim001@mc.duke.edu
The American Journal of Dermatopathology
|April 7, 2007
Summary
Traumatized melanocytic nevi (TMN) can show atypical features. However, pagetoid spread limited to trauma sites is common and usually benign in these lesions.
Area of Science:
- Dermatopathology
- Histopathology
Background:
- Atypical histologic features in benign melanocytic nevi (BMN) are suspected following trauma.
- No systematic studies on nonsurgically traumatized melanocytic nevi (TMN) have been published.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze histologic features of nonsurgically traumatized melanocytic nevi (TMN).
- To identify features associated with atypia in TMN.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 92 cases of TMN for architectural and cytologic criteria of atypia.
- Evaluation of trauma-associated histologic findings.
Main Results:
- Common trauma findings included parakeratosis (92%), dermal telangiectasias (61%), and ulceration (51%).
- Pagetoid spread limited to trauma sites occurred in 20% of cases; spread beyond trauma sites occurred in 8%.
- Melanocytic atypia was rare (3 cases), and dermal mitoses were infrequent.
Conclusions:
- Pagetoid spread confined to traumatized epidermis is compatible with benign TMN.
- Caution is advised for TMN with cytologic atypia, pagetoid spread beyond trauma, or dermal mitoses, as these are rare in benign TMN.
