Conventional and Atypical Deep Penetrating Nevus, Deep Penetrating Nevus-like Melanoma, and Related Variants

Pavandeep Gill, Phyu P. Aung

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Deep penetrating nevus (DPN) is an uncommon acquired melanocytic lesion with a distinct histopathological appearance that typically behaves in an indolent manner. The lesion is characterized by a symmetrical proliferation of epithelioid to spindled melanocytes associated with abundant melanophages and wedge-shaped extension to the deep reticular dermis and subcutis. Pronounced cytologic atypia and mitotic figures are usually absent, which helps distinguish DPN from melanoma with a deep penetrating growth pattern. Recently, the concept of atypical DPN has been proposed for lesions that demonstrate borderline histomorphologic features and may be associated with lymph node deposits but lack the copy number aberrations typical of melanoma by either fluorescence in situ hybridization or comparative genomic hybridization. While most of these lesions have a favorable clinical course, rare lesions may progress to melanoma. In this review, we summarize the current literature on atypical DPNs with uncertain behavior/metastatic potential and outline the characteristics that distinguish these lesions from conventional DPN and melanoma with DPN-like features.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number460
JournalBiology
Volume11
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2022

Keywords

  • deep penetrating nevus
  • melanocytic lesion
  • melanoma
  • metastatic
  • molecular
  • nevi

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Immunology and Microbiology
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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