title: In situ malignant melanoma on nevus spilus in an elderly patient.
abstract: Nevus spilus is the term usually given to a pigmented skin lesion, congenital or acquired, that may occur anywhere on the body, consisting of a large light tan patch with numerous superimposed darker scattered maculae or papulae that are flat or slightly raised. For a long time, nevus spilus was believed to be a benign lesion. However, in 1957 Perkinson reported a melanoma appearing on nevus spilus for the first time. Since then other reports about melanomas developing on nevus spilus have been published, sometimes with a fatal outcome. We describe the case of an 80-year-old male patient with a congenital nevus just above his left knee. The lesion had remained unchanged over time, but some months before his checkup the patient noticed a darker area in the lesion that had continued to enlarge. The lesion was removed and histological examination revealed an in situ malignant melanoma. Although nevus spilus is not normally considered a precursor of melanoma, the potentiality of malignant transformation requires regular monitoring, and careful checkups are recommended and justified.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Unit Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Padua, Italy. Anatomical Pathology Unit Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Padua, Italy. Oncology Unit Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Padua, Italy. Dermatologist Ambulatoriale Azienda Sanitaria n. 6 Friuli Occidentale, Pordenone, Padua, Italy. Corresponding author: teresa.corradin@aopn.sanita.fvg.it.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Corradin
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giulioni
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: Davide Adriano
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Santeufemia
authors.forename: Giovanni Lo
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vettorello
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013848:Thigh; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma