The characteristic histopathologic features of nevi on and around the ear.
BACKGROUND
Nevi on certain areas of the body such as the acral, genital, and flexural regions may exhibit uncommon but characteristic histopathologic features. The purpose of this study was to characterize the distinctive features of nevi with a junctional component located on and around the ear.


METHODS
A total of 101 compound and junctional nevi of the ear received at the Yale Dermatopathology Laboratory during a 10-year period were examined in this study. The most characteristic feature of the majority of these nevi was irregularity of nesting pattern, with nests, which varied in size and shape and which were sometimes located between rete ridges.


RESULTS
Forty-two (42%) of nevi on and around the ear showed poor circumscription, lateral extension of the junctional component beyond the dermal component, and elongation of rete ridges with bridging between them. A subset of these nevi (26 cases) showed uniformly large melanocytes with large vesicular nuclei without prominent nucleoli, and abundant pale, finely granular cytoplasm. These lesions did not show a tendency to recur.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the existence of a subset of nevi on or near the ear that, like certain nevi located on other special sites, exhibit unusual but characteristic features, which may be misinterpreted as atypical or malignant.
Lazova
Rossitza
R
Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8059, USA. rossitza.lazova@yale.edu
Lester
Brian
B
Glusac
Earl J
EJ
Handerson
Tamara
T
McNiff
Jennifer
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009506:Nevus / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*