Cancer of the Skin

Congenital Melanocytic Nevi

Key Points Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) can have medical, cosmetic, and psychological consequences. The natural history of CMN may be dynamic and can include development of erosions and proliferative nodules during infancy, changes in pigmentation and topography, neurotization, and spontaneous…

Dysplastic Nevi

Key Points Clinically dysplastic nevi are an important risk factor for development of melanoma. The lesion represents a point on a clinicopathological continuum that spans banal nevus at one end and melanoma at the other. Individual dysplastic nevi rarely eventuate…

Pseudolymphomas of the Skin

Key Points Cutaneous pseudolymphomas are benign inflammatory skin diseases that mimic malignant lymphomas either clinically, histopathologically, or both. Cutaneous pseudolymphomas should be classified precisely according to specific clinicopathologic entities. Integration of clinical, histopathologic, immunophenotypic and molecular genetic features is crucial…

Malignant Neoplasms: Vascular Differentiation

Key Points Clinical presentation is frequently a red- to purple-colored macule, plaque or nodule. Helpful diagnostic clues include sharp circumscription versus infiltrative edges of the neoplasm, size and multicentricity, as well as site of involvement, age, and other associated disease…

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Key Points Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine skin cancer with a 5-year disease-associated mortality of 46%. The reported incidence of MCC has tripled in the past 20 years and there are approximately 1500 new cases each year…

Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Key Points Kaposi's sarcoma is a multicentric, mostly oligoclonic neoplastic proliferation of endothelial cells that have been infected and transformed by human herpesvirus-8. Four epidemiologic types of Kaposi's sarcoma are recognized: classic (typically found sporadically in elderly persons of Mediterranean…

Sarcomas of the Skin

Key Points Sarcomas of the skin comprise numerous rare entities that commonly present as nodules or plaques. Cutaneous sarcomas exhibit differentiation toward a variety of mesenchymal lineages. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, atypical fibroxanthoma, and cutaneous leiomyosarcoma are the most common types. Diagnosis…

Paget’s Disease

Key Points Mammary Paget's disease (MPD) is almost always associated with underlying breast carcinoma. If an underlying mass is palpated, the patient should be referred for a fine needle biopsy of the mass or an excisional biopsy. The immunostaining pattern…