title: Desmoplastic malignant melanoma: a study of ten cases and status of BRAF mutation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Desmoplastic malignant melanoma (DM) is a rare variant of melanoma. BRAF gene mutations have been poorly explored in this entity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To detect BRAF gene mutation in a series of DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a single-center retrospective study of ten patients with DM, with a biomolecular analysis of BRAF mutation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The male:female ratio was 2.3:1, with a mean patient age of 66.5 years. Melanoma arose in the head and neck region in 3 cases. The mean tumor thickness was 7.97 mm, Clark level was IV or V in all cases. Six melanomas were of the pure DM variant. Three patients had at least one local recurrence, two had regional node metastases, and two experienced systemic metastases which they died of (average follow-up 34.1 months). A V600E BRAF mutation was detected in only one patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BRAF mutation seems to be a rare event in DM contrary to other melanoma variants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Université d'Auvergne, CHU, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coupelon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franck
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jarrousse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Déchelotte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Souteyrand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Incan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf