title: Quantification of melanocytes in sun-damaged skin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The density of melanocytes varies by anatomic site and degree of sun damage.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the density of melanocytes and frequency of confluence in specimens adjacent to nonmelanoma skin cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred final layer specimens from Mohs surgery for basal cell carcinomas were analyzed by using MART-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data for 162 skin specimens from the head demonstrated an average keratinocyte to melanocyte ratio of 7.12 and 8.19 for epidermis and adnexal structures, respectively. The 23 specimens from the trunk demonstrated respective ratios of 7.54 and 7.46, and 13 specimens from extremities demonstrated ratios of 8.69 and 12.38.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Margins from Mohs micrographic surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers were utilized as a proxy for chronically sun-damaged skin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that chronically sun-exposed skin demonstrates increased melanocytic density, but confluence of melanocytes is rare. Occasionally intraepidermal pagetoid scatter and isolated melanocytic nests were rarely noted. These findings alone should not support an unequivocal diagnosis of melanoma in situ.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Seth B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elston
mesh_terms: D017484:Dermatitis, Phototoxic / Q000473:pathology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D015580:Mohs Surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*