Pediatric atypical spitzoid neoplasms: a review with emphasis on 'red' ('spitz') tumors and 'blue' ('blitz') tumors.
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis of pediatric atypical Spitz nevus/tumors (pASNT) is an emerging challenge in clinical dermatology and dermatopathology.


OBJECTIVE
We review the main clinicopathologic issues raised by pASNT and describe 2 examples of different clinicopathologic subsets of lesions.


RESULTS
While Spitz/Reed nevi are commonly small- to medium-sized, tan to black plaques, pASNT are large and nodular, either 'red' (dotted and/or polymorphous vascular pattern on dermoscopy; spindle and/or epithelioid tumors on histopathology: Spitz tumors, sensu strictiori) or 'blue' (homogeneous blue color on dermoscopy; intimate admixture of epithelioid cells and heavily pigmented dendritic cells on histopathology: Blitz tumors or pigmented epithelioid melanocytomas).


CONCLUSIONS
Different clinicopathologic settings of pASNT probably exist. Dermoscopy can aid in their recognition and classification.
Ferrara
Gerardo
G
Pathologic Anatomy Unit, Gaetano Rummo General Hospital, Via dell'Angelo 1, Benevento, Italy. gerardo.ferrara@libero.it
Zalaudek
Iris
I
Savarese
Imma
I
Scalvenzi
Massimiliano
M
Argenziano
Giuseppe
G
D002648:Child; D046169:Dermoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery