Atypical Spitz tumours and sentinel lymph node biopsy: a systematic review.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been proposed as a diagnostic method for estimation of the malignant potential of atypical Spitz tumours. However, although cell deposits are commonly detected in the sentinel lymph nodes of patients with atypical Spitz tumours, their prognosis is substantially better than that of patients with melanoma and positive sentinel lymph node biopsies. We did a systematic review of published reports to assess the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy as a prognostic method in the management of atypical Spitz tumours. The results of our analysis did not show any prognostic benefit of sentinel lymph node biopsy; having a positive sentinel lymph node does not seem to predict a poorer outcome for patients with atypical Spitz tumours. These findings indicate that, especially in the paediatric population, it might be prudent initially to use complete excision with clear margins and careful clinical follow-up in patients with atypical Spitz tumours.
Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Aimilios
A
Lallas
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Athanassios
A
Kyrgidis
Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Gaetano Rummo General Hospital, Benevento, Italy.
Gerardo
G
Ferrara
Department of Dermatology, Division of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Harald
H
Kittler
State Clinic of Dermatology, Hospital of Venereal and Skin Diseases, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Zoe
Z
Apalla
Surgery Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Fabio
F
Castagnetti
Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Caterina
C
Longo
Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Elvira
E
Moscarella
Pathology Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Simonetta
S
Piana
Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy; Department of Dermatology, Medical University, Graz, Austria.
Iris
I
Zalaudek
Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy. Electronic address: g.argenziano@gmail.com.
Giuseppe
G
Argenziano
D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D018332:Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery