Spitzoid cutaneous melanoma is associated with favorable clinicopathological factors and outcome

Spitzoid melanoma is one of the rare subtypes of melanoma, whose clinical and pathological characteristics have yet to be understood.

Understanding the histopathologic features and behavior characteristics of Spitzoid cutaneous melanoma.

A total number of 11 Turkish Caucasian patients with pathologically diagnosed Spitzoid melanoma were analyzed retrospectively.

The median age of patients was 24 years (ranging from 16 to 54 years), and the females outnumbered the males (90%). The extremities, especially lower limbs (67%), were the most commonly affected primary areas (64% of patients). Median depth and mitotic rate were 2.2 mm and 3 /mm² , respectively. The presence of ulceration and regression were observed in a few lesions (14%). While tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were expressed in all of the lesions, none of the lesions was associated with lymphovascular invasion and/or neurotropism. The regional lymph nodes were involved only in minority of the patients (27%), and no patients had metastatic disease. Recurrences occurred in only two patients (18%) that affected merely distant areas, that is, lung and brain. The median disease-free survival time and 5-year disease-free survival rate were 20.5 months and 80.6%, respectively. Only one (9%) death occurred; and the median overall survival time was 26.2 months, and 5-year overall survival rate was 90.7%.

Spitzoid cutaneous melanoma is correlated with favorable histopathologic and clinical characteristics, and therefore, it is associated with better survival rates.