No abstract

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a variant of spindle cell melanoma typically found on chronically sun-damaged skin of older individuals. Early diagnosis can be challenging because it is often amelanotic and has a predominantly dermal component. DM can be difficult to diagnose not only clinically but also histologically, and can be mistaken for a variety of benign and malignant non-melanocytic spindle cell tumors when viewed on prepared histopathology slides. Pathologists have observed that DMs can manifest significant variation with respect to the extent of intratumoral cellularity, fibrosis and/or perineural invasion. Furthermore, some tumors present with a pure desmoplastic invasive component (>90%) while other tumors display mixed features of desmoplastic and non-desmoplastic melanoma. This has lead to the separation of DM into two histologic subtypes, pure and mixed. With a focus on the distinction between pure and mixed DM, this review will detail what is currently known about the diagnostic features of DM, discuss risk and prognostic factors and examine the current literature on disease progression and management.

Results from this pilot study suggest that teledermoscopy is feasible and effective as a method for short-term monitoring of clinically atypical nevi. The implementation of teledermoscopy can potentially enhance patient convenience, optimize physician scheduling, and promote efficiency.

Though DM can be difficult to diagnose based on clinical morphologic characteristics alone, dermoscopy has proved to be a useful aid during the evaluation of clinically equivocal lesions or those lesions with a benign appearance. The most common dermoscopic clues observed in DMs included atypical vascular structures, peppering, and occasionally other melanoma-specific structures.

We put forward for your consideration a new mnemonic: 'Do UC (different, uneven, changing) the melanoma?' This mnemonic encompasses differential, analytical and comparative cognition strategies for an enhanced early detection of melanoma.