Dermatopathology and Skin Care

Biography

Biography: Ying Guo

Abstract

Melanoma, a malignant neoplasm of melanocytes, is the most aggressive and life-threatening skin tumor. The incidence of melanoma has been rising in the past few decades, and melanoma still leads to >90% of skin cancer death. Because of its phenotypic diversity, making an accurate diagnosis could be challenging both clinically and histopathologically.  Histopathology still remains the gold standard for the diagnosis. However, there are mimickers that may range from reactive to neoplastic processes and may be from multiple histogenetic lines. Misdiagnosis as a melanoma is more likely to occur when a lesion is pigmented, and histopathologically less differentiated. Over diagnosis or under diagnosis will significantly affect the patients care. Careful routine histologic examination in conjunction with immunohistochemical study is essential in order to make accurate diagnosis or exclude the diagnosis of melanoma.  This presentation would be helpful to identify melanoma mimickers and to avoid the diagnostic confusion.