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Subungual Melanocytic Lesions: Key Clinical and Pathologic Concepts and Biopsy Techniques
- Source :
- Actas dermo-sifiliograficas.
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Both dermatologists and pathologists sometimes find daunting the evaluation of melanonychia (especially subungual melanocytic lesions) because of the fear of performing nail surgery due to the risk of dystrophy, difficulties processing and interpreting nail biopsy specimens, and a general lack of experience in the field. Nevertheless, mastery of nail biopsy techniques, correct processing and orientation of specimens, and familiarity with the histologic particularities of the nail apparatus can attenuate the undoubted complexity and facilitate the tasks involved. Longitudinal excision is the biopsy technique that ensures the simplest histologic interpretation, and it is associated with a low risk of nail dystrophy when performed correctly. Clinical and epidemiological data are crucial. Subungual melanoma in childhood, for instance, is very rare and even lesions with atypical clinical and/or histologic features are probably benign. The presence of suprabasal melanocytes and other findings that would suggest malignancy at other sites are considered normal in the nail apparatus. Subungual melanoma shows a lentiginous pattern in the early stages of disease, and detection of an inflammatory infiltrate accompanying atypical lentiginous subungual lesions would appear to be one of the first diagnostic findings.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Histology
integumentary system
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Dystrophy
Dermatology
Malignancy
medicine.disease
Pathology and Forensic Medicine
030207 dermatology & venereal diseases
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
medicine.anatomical_structure
Melanonychia
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Biopsy
medicine
Nail (anatomy)
Subungual melanoma
business
NAIL DYSTROPHY
Nail Apparatus
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 21735778
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Actas dermo-sifiliograficas
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....29ccb625e01ac9e92333dc8235fea2ab