These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Superficial spreading melanoma and blue naevus within naevus spilus--ultrastructural assessment of giant pigment granules.
    Author: Cox NH, Malcolm A, Long ED.
    Journal: Dermatology; 1997; 194(3):213-6. PubMed ID: 9187835.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Abnormal melanosomes occur in naevus spilus (NS). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether melanoma arising in NS contains abnormal melanosomes. METHODS: Light and electron microscopy of melanoma within NS and congenital naevus (Case 1), and of blue naevus within NS (Case 2). Light microscopy of additional naevi and melanomas. RESULTS: The melanoma and NS (Case 1) both had large numbers of giant pigment granules (GPGs), demonstrated ultrastructurally to be melanosome macrocomplexes. These were not observed in a congenital naevus (Case 1), or in the blue naevus within NS (Case 2). Small numbers of GPGs were observed in 0/2 NS, 8/16 benign naevi and 11/16 malignant melanomas (MMs). CONCLUSION: NS may be associated with other melanocytic tumours including MM and blue naevi; abnormal melanosomes in NS may also be present in the associated tumour. The prognostic importance of these is unknown, but occasional GPGs in melanocytic lesions are a frequent finding.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]