Clinicohistopathologic challenges and traps in the diagnosis of nail unit melanoma

Melanoma of the nail apparatus is challenging to diagnose for both dermatologists and dermatopathologists. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of nail unit melanoma can have fatal consequences and legal ramifications. This review educates dermatopathologists on challenges and traps they should be awar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cutaneous pathology 2023-06, Vol.50 (6), p.580-590
Main Authors: Jiang, Angela J., Abbott, James J., Higgins, H. William, Elenitsas, Rosalie, Rubin, Adam I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
dermatopathology
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Errors
Humans
melanocytic activation
Melanoma
Melanoma - diagnosis
Melanoma - pathology
nail apparatus melanoma
Nail Diseases - diagnosis
Nail Diseases - pathology
nail unit melanoma
Nails - pathology
Skin Neoplasms - diagnosis
Skin Neoplasms - pathology
Syndrome
Traps
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Melanoma of the nail apparatus is challenging to diagnose for both dermatologists and dermatopathologists. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of nail unit melanoma can have fatal consequences and legal ramifications. This review educates dermatopathologists on challenges and traps they should be aware of to avoid misdiagnosis of nail unit melanoma. We present illustrative difficult cases that introduce several themes regarding challenges in the diagnosis of nail unit melanoma: specimens with subtle histopathologic findings, challenges in immunoperoxidase interpretation, and how clinical knowledge and surgical procedural knowledge are mandatory to make the diagnosis. Dermatopathologists will be aware of when and how to suspect nail unit melanoma in unusual circumstances.
ISSN:0303-6987
1600-0560
DOI:10.1111/cup.14403