Intra-epithelial changes in childhood nevi simulating malignant melanoma.
Upward epidermal spread by tumour cells is one of the features looked for in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Unusual changes--resembling invasion and destruction of the epidermis--in a nevus from a 5 yr-old boy largely contributed to an erroneous diagnosis of malignant melanoma from 2 of 4 expert dermatopathologists. A subsequent prospective 5 yr survey of benign melanocytic lesions at a pediatric hospital showed 14 of over 200 nevi with prominent upward intraepidermal nevus cell migration. "Invasion" appears to be at the extreme end of a spectrum of upward spread in childhood nevi and is probably seen only in children.
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*