Zeitschrift für medizinische und chirurgische Pathologie
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Abstrakt

Prediction of Melanoma Behavior with Ubiquitous Features

Riddhish T. Sheth

Melanoma is a devastating form of skin cancer and is the 5th most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Melanoma is responsible for the majority of skin cancer related death in the United States as well. Melanoma behaves in an unpredictable manner and can invade, metastasize, and recur without detection. Observable features such as pagetoid melanocytosis, highest epidermal strata occupied by pagetoid melanocytes, largest melanocytic nest present (LNS), smallest melanocytic nest present (SNS), and the LNS:SNS ratio may aid in predicting a melanocytic malignancy’s behavior by providing clues regarding whether a lesion has a propensity to invade, and possibly even how deep the lesion may invade. This single institutional study follows 36 patients and examines 37 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens mounted on glass slides and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. The study investigates numerous factors that may provide clues to the diagnostician and clinician regarding a specific malignant melanocytic lesion’s behavior.