Spreading Melanoma (spreading + melanoma)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Kinds of Spreading Melanoma

  • superficial spreading melanoma


  • Selected Abstracts


    Molluscum contagiosum arising in melanocytic nevus and in superficial spreading melanoma

    JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
    Danijela Dobrosavljevic
    Growth of MC inside melanocytic lesion is extremely rare. We present the case of MC in common melanocytic nevus and the first case of MC in superficial spreading malignant melanoma. Complete destruction of melanocytes and melanoma cells occurred on the site of MC infection. MC virus might be considered as a future candidate for viral oncolysis in cutaneous melanoma patients with advanced disease. [source]


    Possible role of dermoscopy in the detection of a primary cutaneous melanoma of unknown origin

    JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
    M Stante
    Abstract For 2,8% of patients with metastatic melanoma, cutaneous and mucosal clinical examination does not lead to diagnosis of the primary tumour, which remains unknown. We report the case of a 41-year-old male patient who had received a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma after histological examination of an enlarged axillary lymph node, without previous detection of the primary lesion at his first dermatological examination. No pigmented skin lesions located in the anatomical area potentially drained by the affected axillary basin showed clinical features suggestive of a melanoma. Neither did the so-called ,ugly duckling' sign help us to identify the melanoma, because of the presence of a large number of clinically similar, common or slightly atypical melanocytic lesions located in that area. After dermoscopic examination we were able to narrow the field of possible candidates for excision to four lesions, selected on the basis of their dermoscopic features. Histological examination revealed the primary melanoma (superficial spreading melanoma (SSM), level III, thickness 0.5 mm) , located on the back , and three naevi with atypia. Preoperative distinction of the melanoma from the other three lesions was not possible because of the lack of well-established features of malignancy, even at dermoscopic analysis (,featureless' melanoma). Dermoscopy may thus play a role in the detection of a clinically unknown primary melanoma by narrowing the field of lesions to be removed for histological examination, saving many unnecessary excisions that would otherwise be inevitable. [source]


    Nestin is expressed in HMB-45 negative melanoma cells in dermal parts of nodular melanoma

    THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
    Maho KANOH
    Abstract Nestin, a marker of neural stem cells, is expressed in the stem cells of the mouse hair follicle. The nestin-expressing hair follicle stem cells can differentiate into neurons, glia, keratocytes, smooth muscle cells and melanocytes in vitro. These pluripotent nestin-expressing stem cells are keratin 15 (K15)-negative, suggesting that they are in a relatively undifferentiated state. Recent studies suggest that the epithelial stem cells are important in tumorigenesis, and nestin expression is thought to be important in tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the expression of the hair follicle and neural stem cell marker nestin, as well as S-100 and HMB-45, in melanoma. Nestin immunoreactivity was observed in the HMB-45-negative melanoma cells in all five cases of amelanotic nodular melanomas. Moreover, nestin immunoreactivity was observed in the dermal parts in seven of 10 cases of melanotic nodular melanomas. Especially, nestin immunoreactivity was observed in the HMB-45-negative melanoma cells in the dermal parts of all 10 cases of HMB-45-negative amelanotic and melanotic nodular melanomas. On the other hand, nestin expression was negative in 10 of 12 cases of superficial spreading melanoma. These results suggest that nestin is an important marker of HMB-45-negative melanoma cells in the dermal parts of patients with nodular melanoma. [source]


    Nodular melanomas: Analysis of the casistic and relationship with thick melanomas and diagnostic delay

    THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2008
    Roberto BETTI
    ABSTRACT The present study aimed to: (i) define thick melanomas related to nodular melanomas and other melanoma subgroups; and (ii) establish diagnostic delay in relation to the biological behavior of these melanomas and prevention programs. Cutaneous primary melanomas were studied. Nodular melanoma (NM), lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) and superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) were selected. A further category named vertical growth melanoma (VGM) was also utilized. Analysis for sex, age, different values of thickness (1,2 mm, >2 mm; 1,3 mm, >3 mm; >4 mm), delay to diagnosis and patterns of detection were performed in all of the different subtypes. Eighty-seven patients with melanomas more than 1 mm of Breslow's thickness out of 506 melanoma were collected. Twenty-six were nodular cases, 39 SSM, five LMM and 17 VGM. Of those patients with NM, 42% had a thickness of more than 1,2 mm, 34% of 2,4 mm, 23% of more than 4 mm; and 54% with 1,3, 46% with more than 3 mm; and 58% with more than 2 mm. Even considering different values of thickness of more than 1 mm, a delay to diagnosis was significantly lower in NM (4.79 months) than in other subgroups. The value of more than 1 mm of Breslow's thickness may be sufficient to consider a melanoma to be thick. The lower diagnostic delay of NM suggests that they represent faster growing lesions probably with a different biological behavior than other melanoma subtypes. VGM should not be confused with NM, having a longer delay and different clinical features compared with the latter. They represent an area of diagnostic carelessness than potentially be improved. [source]


    Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with thin melanomas

    THE JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2007
    Roberto CECCHI
    ABSTRACT The aim of the present study is to report our experience with lymphatic mapping (LM) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in a selected group of patients with thin primary cutaneous melanomas. Fifty patients (22 females and 28 males; mean age, 57.8 years; range, 30,77 years) with a mean tumor thickness of 0.63 mm (range, 0.24,1.00 mm) underwent LM/SLNB. Twenty-eight (56%) of them had Clark level II, 20 (40%) had Clark level III, and two (4%) had Clark level IV. Tumor ulceration was present in two patients (4%) and histological regression in 35 patients (70%). Sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases occurred in two of 50 patients (4%). The first case was a 0.88-mm thick, Clark level III, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the trunk, without any regression. The second case was a 0.95-mm thick, Clark level IV, non-ulcerated superficial spreading melanoma of the neck, with regression. Both patients were disease-free 76 and 50 months after the SLNB procedure and followed complete lymph node dissection, respectively. The patients with negative SLN were disease-free after a median follow up of 44 months (mean, 43.2; range, 15,84 months). Published data and our experience suggest that LM/SLNB is not routinely indicated for melanomas less than 0.75 mm. Our results confirmed the accuracy of the new American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union Against Cancer criteria, in which SLNB is required for thin melanomas less than 1.0 mm when they have ulceration or Clark level IV and V invasion. [source]


    Development of prognostic factors and survival in cutaneous melanoma over 25 years

    CANCER, Issue 3 2005
    An analysis of the Central Malignant Melanoma Registry of the German Dermatological Society
    Abstract BACKGROUND Recent studies revealed that incidence rates of cutaneous melanoma (CM) were leveling off predominantly among younger people and patterns suggested birth-cohort effects. The current study analyzed the development of prognostic factors and survival in incident CM over 25 years. METHODS All 45,483 patients with incident CM diagnosed between 1976 and 2000 recorded by the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry were considered. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to judge time trends. Trends of survival rates were tested with the multivariate Cox model. RESULTS Median tumor thickness decreased from 1.81 mm in 1976 to 0.53 mm in 2000 (P < 0.0001). The percentages of in situ and level II CM increased, respectively (P < 0.0001). The percentage of ulcerated CM decreased (P < 0.0001). The percentage of superficial spreading melanoma increased, whereas the percentage of nodular melanoma decreased (P < 0.0001). These time trends were all significant in the strata of gender, however, male patients presented in general with more advanced disease. Between 1976 and 2000, the average patient got older (P < 0.0001). The percentage of patients diagnosed with the primary tumor alone increased (P < 0.0001). Across the 25 years of observation, adjusted survival rates did not increase for females (P = 0.1561) but they increased for males (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The data demonstrated a strong trend towards prognostically more favorable CM most likely due to earlier diagnosis. Men and older people should be the focus of health promotion activities as they presented with more advanced disease. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]


    Cytomorphological variations, proliferation and angiogenesis in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma

    CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
    N. Jonjic
    Summary Depth of invasion and stage of the disease are well known prognostic indicators in cutaneous melanoma (CM). However, the role of other parameters, such as the variations in cytomorphology of melanocyte tumours, mitotic activity and angiogenesis is still open to question. The aim of this study was to analyse proliferation by mitotic activity index (MAI) and immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the intensity of neovascularization (microvessel density; MVD) in CM clinical stage I in relation to epithelioid, spindle and nevoid cell type, histological type (superficial spreading melanoma and nodular melanoma), Clark's level and Breslow thickness. Finally, the role of all parameters in the prognosis of CM was evaluated. Statistical analysis demonstrated that cytological characteristics of CM correlate only with Clark's level, while histological types correlate with MAI, PCNA and MVD. MAI and PCNA also showed correlation between groups according to Clark's level and Breslow thickness. Finally, tumour cell PCNA was found to correlate with MVD. Survival of patients with CM correlated significantly with MAI. These results suggest that cytological variation, histological type, PCNA and MVD alone are not independent prognostic parameters, whereas MAI is a potentially important prognostic marker in CM. [source]


    Patterns of Detection of Superficial Spreading and Nodular-Type Melanoma: A Multicenter Italian Study

    DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 11 2004
    Paolo Carli
    Background. Nodular histotype represents the condition that is mostly associated with diagnosis of thick melanoma. Objective. The objectives were to evaluate variables associated with and pattern of detection of nodular melanomas and to investigate variables associated with early diagnosis in accordance with histotype (nodular vs. superficial spreading melanomas). Methods. From the original data set of 816 melanomas, all the invasive lesions classified as superficial spreading (n=500) and nodular (n=93) melanomas were considered for the study. A multivariate logistic analysis was performed. Results. Nodular melanomas did not significantly differ from superficial spreading melanomas regarding sex, anatomic site, number of whole-body nevi, and the presence of atypical nevi. As expected, nodular melanomas were represented by a higher percentage of thick (>2 mm) lesions compared to superficial spreading melanomas (64.5% vs. 9.6%, p<0.001). The pattern of detection significantly differed between nodular and superficial spreading melanomas, the former being more frequently self-detected (44.1% vs. 38.0%) or detected by the family doctor (34.4% vs. 11.4%). Female sex, high level of education, and detection made by a dermatologist had an independent, protective effect against late (>1 mm in thickness) diagnosis in superficial spreading melanomas. No protective variable associated with nodular melanomas was found. Conclusion. Patterns of detection for nodular melanomas significantly differ from those for superficial spreading melanomas. For superficial spreading, but not for nodular, melanomas, variables associated with protective effect against late diagnosis can be identified. [source]


    Nestin expression in cutaneous melanomas and melanocytic nevi

    JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
    Svetlana Brychtova
    Background:, Nestin is one of the intermediate filaments that are expressed in proliferating neural progenitor cells during development of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system. Postnatal re-expression of the protein occurs mainly under pathological conditions, including injury and neoplasia. In this study, nestin expression was detected in both benign and malignant melanocytic skin lesions and its diagnostic relevance was then evaluated. Methods:, Altogether 139 bioptic tissue samples consisting of 42 nodular melanomas, 32 superficial spreading melanomas, 12 metastatic melanomas, 10 dysplastic nevi and 43 common melanocytic intradermal and dermoepidermal nevi were analysed using indirect immunohistochemical staining. Results:, We demonstrated that nestin immunostaining was significantly increased in melanomas where it correlated with more advanced stages of the disease. Conclusion:, We conclude that expression of the intermediate filament protein nestin might be an indicator of tumor dedifferentiation and more aggressive behaviour. Furthermore, we suggest that nestin might be a relevant marker of tumorous and non-tumorous angiogenesis. [source]