title: Association between dermoscopic and reflectance confocal microscopy features of cutaneous melanoma with BRAF mutational status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melanomas harbouring common genetic mutations might share certain morphological features detectable with dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy. BRAF mutational status is crucial for the management of metastatic melanoma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the dermoscopic characteristics of primary cutaneous melanomas with BRAF mutational status. Furthermore, a subset of tumours has also been analysed for the presence of possible confocal features that might be linked with BRAF status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospectively acquired dermoscopic and confocal images of patients with melanoma in tertiary referral academic centres: Skin Cancer Unit in Reggio Emilia and at the Melanoma Unit in Barcelona. Kruskal-Wallis test, logistic regressions, univariate and multivariate analyses have been performed to find dermoscopic and confocal features significantly correlated with BRAF mutational status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dermoscopically, the presence of irregular peripheral streaks and ulceration were positive predictors of BRAF-mutated melanomas with a statistically significance value, while dotted vessels were more represented in wild-type melanomas. None of the evaluated reflectance confocal microscopy features were correlated with genetic profiling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ulceration and irregular peripheral streaks represent dermoscopic feature indicative for BRAF-mutated melanoma, while dotted vessels are suggestive for wild-type melanoma.
authors: Dermatology and Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Bombonato
authors: Dermatology Department, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ribero
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: F C
authors: FC
authors: Pozzobon
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de enfermedades raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Puig-Butille
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de enfermedades raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Badenas
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de enfermedades raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Carrera
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de enfermedades raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Malvehy
authors: Dermatology and Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Moscarella
authors: First Department of Dermatology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lallas
authors: Pathology Unit, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Piana
authors: Dermatology Department or Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Service, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic & IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de enfermedades raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Puig
authors: Dermatology Department, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Argenziano
authors: Dermatology and Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Longo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D046169:Dermoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf