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May 2004

Dermoscopy of Melanocytic Neoplasms: Familial Patterns

Author Affiliations
 

JAMES M.GRICHNIKMD, PhD

Arch Dermatol. 2004;140(5):642. doi:10.1001/archderm.140.5.642

The lesions shown are from the back of a 41-year-old white man (Figure 1 and Figure 2), and his 13-year-old son (Figure 3 and Figure 4). Clinically, both the lesions revealed asymmetric hyperpigmentation (Figure 1 and Figure 3). Dermoscopy further revealed similarities in the lesions with an atypical pigment network at one pole, a hypopigmented central zone, and blue-red pigmentation at the opposite pole. The lesion on the father was interpreted as a superficial spreading melanoma, Breslow depth of 1.4 mm (a nevus component was also noted). The son's lesion was interpreted as a compound nevus with severe atypia. Both lesions were reexcised. Although the underlying genetics resulting in these lesions are not known for this family, it is reasonable to assume that the similar appearance of the neoplasms is due to similar underlying mutations and that with time the son's lesion would have also been interpreted as melanoma.

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