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Dermatopathologic variants of malignant melanoma
1Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida 32224, USA.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Accurate diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions relies on biopsy. Excisional biopsy is key for suspected malignant melanoma, with common types and rare variants requiring careful histopathologic evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Dermatopathology
- Oncology
Background:
- Accurate histopathologic diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions is crucial.
- Excisional skin biopsy is the preferred method for suspected malignant melanoma.
- Malignant melanomas are categorized into common and unusual variants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinicopathologic categories of cutaneous melanoma.
- To highlight unusual variants of melanoma and their histopathologic features.
- To discuss the utility of immunohistochemical stains in melanoma diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of common and unusual clinicopathologic categories of cutaneous melanoma.
- Discussion of histopathologic features of various melanoma types.
- Emphasis on the role of immunohistochemistry in differential diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Over 95% of cutaneous melanomas fall into four common types: superficial spreading, nodular, lentigo maligna, and acral lentiginous.
- Unusual variants include desmoplastic, neurotropic, amelanotic, and others.
- Immunohistochemical stains (S-100, vimentin, keratin, HMB-45) aid in distinguishing melanoma from simulators.
Conclusions:
- Histopathologic evaluation via biopsy is essential for diagnosing pigmented skin lesions.
- Understanding common and unusual melanoma variants is critical for accurate diagnosis.
- Immunohistochemistry plays a vital role in complex cases and differentiating melanoma from mimics.