title: A clinical, histologic, and follow-up study of genital melanosis in men and women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genital melanosis may clinically mimic melanoma. Little is known about the potential risk for genital and nongenital melanoma in these patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed clinical and histologic data from patients with genital melanosis to better characterize these lesions and the risk they confer for genital and nongenital melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 41 patients were identified for a retrospective chart review and histologic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genital melanosis can clinically mimic melanoma but the typical age of onset is younger than for genital melanoma. A majority of lesions were found to stabilize or regress over time. Five patients were found to have a history of melanoma, only 1 of which was in the genital region. Lesions from these patients were more likely to show melanocytes with suprabasal movement (P = .0101) and to have a higher melanocyte count (P < .0462).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present a relatively small cohort of patients with an average follow-up of only 30.5 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with genital melanosis, and in particular those with any level of histologic atypia in the genital melanosis lesion, may require careful total body skin examinations for the possibility of melanoma in any body site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Haugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bubley
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Anna Elisa
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Verzì
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Christina Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: pgerami1@nm.org.
authors.forename: Pedram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gerami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000473:pathology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008548:Melanosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Sox10; genital melanoma; genital melanosis; melanosis; penile melanoma; vulvar melanoma