title: Origin of cutaneous melanoma in a congenital dysplastic nevus spilus.
abstract: Cutaneous melanoma developed in contiguity with a congenital nevus spilus on the leg of a 79-year-old white woman. The unique features of the nevus spilus in this case were its relatively large size (diameter, 8 cm), irregular gross appearance, lifelong stability until the recent appearance of a tumor nodule, and the presence of intraepidermal melanocytic dysplasia appearing as multifocal elements within darkly pigmented speckles distributed throughout a lightly pigmented background of lentigo simplex. Based on this observation, we suggest that the presence of intraepidermal melanocytic dysplasia in nevus spilus may be a predisposing factor for the development of melanoma. The malignant potential of "dysplastic" nevus spilus requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, PA 15213.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mihm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004416:Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007866:Leg; D007911:Lentigo / Q000473:pathology; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*