Multiple Spitz nevi: a clinicopathologic study of 9 patients.
BACKGROUND
Whether agminated, within a speckled lentiginous nevus/nevus spilus, or randomly scattered, multiple Spitz nevi (SN), defined as two or more SN, is a rare entity.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate patients presenting with multiple SN.


METHODS
We conducted a search of the database of the Yale Spitzoid Neoplasm Repository from May 1990 to June 2010 to identify patients with multiple SN. The clinicopathologic features of these patients are the subject of this study.


RESULTS
Nine patients with a total of 38 SN were identified retrospectively during a 20-year period. Patients ranged in age from 2 to 34 years (mean 22 years). The total number of histologically confirmed SN in each patient ranged from 2 to 13 (mean 5; median 2). These SN were more commonly diagnosed clinically as atypical nevi rather than as SN. The histopathologic findings ranged from those of a classic SN to an atypical Spitzoid neoplasm that was difficult to distinguish from a Spitzoid melanoma. Of the SN examined histologically in this series, the majority (53%) showed no atypical histopathologic features and none had recurred after a re-excision.


CONCLUSIONS
The low number of patients with multiple SN is a limitation.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of multiple SN is a rare phenomenon. The majority display histopathologic characteristics of classic SN or a few atypical features.
Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Maya
M
Zayour
Jean L
JL
Bolognia
Rossitza
R
Lazova
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult