title: Acral melanocytic lesions in the United States: Prevalence, awareness, and dermoscopic patterns in skin-of-color and non-Hispanic white patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acral lentiginous melanoma has increased mortality compared with other melanoma subtypes and disproportionately affects ethnic minorities. Acral melanocytic lesions have not been well studied in diverse populations of the United States.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to assess the prevalence, awareness, and dermoscopic patterns of acral melanocytic lesions in skin-of-color and non-Hispanic white patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively examined the palms and soles of 1052 patients presenting to dermatology clinics in New York, NY, and Miami, FL, from October 2013 to April 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acral melanocytic lesions were observed in 36% of our cohort. Skin-of-color patients were more likely to have acral melanocytic lesions than non-Hispanic white patients (P < .01). Acral melanocytic lesions correlated with increased mole counts, particularly on non-Hispanic white patients. The majority of lesions demonstrated benign dermoscopic patterns. We observed 2 lesions with the parallel ridge pattern in our cohort, both found to be atypical nevi on biopsy specimen. Patients often lacked awareness of the presence of their lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interobserver variability in assessing dermoscopic patterns is a limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Melanocytic lesions of the palms and soles are common, particularly in a cohort of multiple ethnicities from the United States. Dermoscopy of acral lesions is an important clinical tool for diagnosis and management of these lesions.
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Reshmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madankumar
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Priyanka V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Gumaste
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martires
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Panta R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Leyre
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Falto-Aizpurua
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Harleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Penelope J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kallis
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Shailee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Shadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Damanpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Margaret I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Aegean
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Polsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Montefiore Medical Center, New York, New York; Department of Dermatology, St Barnabas Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanavy
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grichnik
authors.affiliation: Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York. Electronic address: Jennifer.Stein@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001364:Awareness; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044469:Racial Groups; D000095223:White
keywords: acquired acral nevi; acral lentiginous melanoma; acral melanocytic lesions; acral pigmented lesions; dermoscopy; skin of color