title: Cutaneous metastatic breast carcinoma with melanocyte colonization: a clinical and dermoscopic mimic of malignant melanoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanocyte colonization of breast carcinoma cells may occur in those tumors that breach the epidermal-dermal interface. The resultant melanin deposition in tumor cells rarely leads to clinical pigmentation of the tumor. Typically, selective staining methods are required to detect the pigment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors describe a 60-year-old woman with a history of mammary carcinoma and an irregularly pigmented nodule with peripheral globules and a blue-white veil on dermoscopy, which was a clinical and dermoscopic mimic of malignant melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of melanocyte colonization of non-melanocytic tumor cells and the dermoscopic-histologic correlations can aid in avoiding a potential pitfall, and emphasize the importance of such relationships, when using this tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10022, USA.
authors.forename: Angela J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.forename: Anna Liza C
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Agero
authors.forename: Ruby
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Klaus J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Busam
authors.forename: Ashfaq A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Marghoob
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D046169:Dermoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary