Diving into the blue: in vivo microscopic characterization of the dermoscopic blue hue.
BACKGROUND
In dermoscopy the presence of a blue hue is a clue for malignancy, although a blue tint is sometimes observable in benign lesions.


OBJECTIVE
To identify the in vivo confocal microscopy correlates of the blue hue for improving diagnostic accuracy for melanoma.


METHODS
Fifty-seven melanomas, 41 junctional, 88 compound, and 27 Spitz nevi were studied by dermoscopy, confocal microscopy, and histopathology.


RESULTS
Confocal microscopy enabled the distinction between blue areas and blue veil, the former characterized by plump cells corresponding to melanophages and inflammatory infiltrate at histology, the latter by the contemporary presence of epidermal and dermal features consistent with diagnosis of melanoma, such as disarranged pattern, pagetoid cells, cytologic and architectural atypias, nonhomogeneous and cerebriform clusters, and dermal nucleated cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Confocal microscopy failed to accurately distinguish Spitz nevi, because of the presence of cytoarchitectural disarray in the epidermis and the upper dermis.


CONCLUSIONS
Confocal microscopy enabled the in vivo identification of characteristic cytological substrates correlated with the blue features in dermoscopy.
Pellacani
Giovanni
G
Department of Dermatology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. pellacani.giovanni@unimo.it
Bassoli
Sara
S
Longo
Caterina
C
Cesinaro
Anna Maria
AM
Seidenari
Stefania
S
D003116:Color; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology