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Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Genetically Engineered Mouse Models and Pathological Characterization of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Associated Tumors
Published on: May 17, 2024
Neural Crest-Derived Co-localization: A Case of Granular Cell Tumor Arising Beneath a Nevus Spilus
Brian A Moreno1, Moises Lutwak2, Daniel Lutwak2
1Dermatology, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, USA.
None:
Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms believed to originate from Schwann cells, exhibiting immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features consistent with neural crest derivation. Similarly, a nevus spilus (NS) is a pigmented skin lesion composed of lentiginous background macules with superimposed darker macules or papules, also thought to arise from neural crest-derived melanocytes. We report a unique case of a 27-year-old female who presented with a painful subcutaneous nodule on the left medial midback, overlaid by an NS. Surgical excision revealed a lesion consistent with a GCT based on histopathologic evaluation. To our knowledge, this is one of the few reported cases demonstrating spatial co-localization of a GCT and NS. This case raises the possibility of a shared embryologic origin contributing to the concurrent development of both lesions in the same anatomic location. Further research is needed to explore whether this reflects a coincidental overlap or an underlying developmental association between neural crest-derived cutaneous proliferations.

