title: Non-melanocytic mimics of melanocytic neoplasms.
abstract: On histopathologic examination, many non-neoplastic conditions mimic benign or malignant neoplasms. Alternatively, some benign and malignant neoplasms can also mimic non-neoplastic lesions. This is true of all organ systemsskin is no exception. Examples of these mimickers can be found in skin lesions of almost all tissue types, including those that are melanocytic, lymphoid, epithelial, neural, vascular, neuroendocrine, and fibrohistiocytic. Melanocytic neoplasms are particularly important as it's challenging to differentiate them as being benign or malignant, and it's difficult to tell them apart from non-melanocytic neoplasms. This review illustrates examples of non-melanocytic lesions that disguise themselves as melanocytic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jbhawan@bu.edu
authors.forename: Jag
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bhawan
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D010858:Pigmentation; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor