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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
A 3D Organotypic Melanoma Spheroid Skin Model
Published on: May 18, 2018
Melanoma associated with a dermatofibroma
Bradley T Kovach1, Alan S Boyd
1Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Dermatology, Nashville, TN 37232-5227, USA.
Background:
Dermatofibromas are common benign cutaneous fibrohistiocytic neoplasms, whereas melanomas are potentially aggressive malignancies. Differentiating these two entities can occasionally be difficult.
Methods:
We report the case of a 56-year-old female presenting with a firm pink papule on the left thigh.
Results:
Histopathology revealed atypical melanocytes in the epidermis and papillary dermis with numerous mitotic figures and intraepidermal pagetoid spread. Within the dermis was a poorly demarcated collection of epithelioid and spindled cells with intermixed keloidal collagen. The atypical melanocytes stained for MART-1 and S-100, whereas the underlying fibrohistiocytic tumor took up factor XIIIa immunostain, confirming the diagnosis of invasive malignant melanoma occurring in association with a dermatofibroma.
Conclusions:
This case emphasizes the role of immunohistochemical stains in correctly diagnosing melanocytic and histiocytic neoplasms.
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