Turkish Journal of Pathology

Türk Patoloji Dergisi

Turkish Journal of Pathology

Turkish Journal of Pathology

2007, Vol 23, Num, 3     (Pages: 169-172)

Pseudomelanoma developing after shave excision of melanocytic nevus: Case report and review of literature

Beyhan DEMİRHAN 1, A. Tülin GÜLEÇ 2, Banu BİLEZİKÇİ 1, Bülent CELASUN 1

1 Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Patoloji, Anabilim Dalı, ANKARA
2 Başkent Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dermatoloji, Anabilim Dalı, ANKARA

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Pseudomelanoma is a pigmented lesion of the skin which follows incomplete excision of a benign nevus and imitates a superficial spreading malignant melanoma both histopathologically and dermatoscopically. Recognition of the features of pseudomelanoma can help preventing unnecessary treatment. Here we report a case of pseudomelanoma occuring two months after a shave excision on the abdomen of a 22 year-old-woman. The original material had not been examined histopathologically. The recurrent lesion had a high score for malignancy under dermatoscopical examination. Some of the histopathological findings resembled in part to malignant melanoma. The patient's history of previous incomplete excision, the presence of remnants of mature melanocytic nevus cell nests and the lack of epidermal invasion were among the helpful findings which helped us diagnose the lesion as pseudomelanoma. In this article, the differential diagnosis of pseudomelanoma from malignant melanoma has been discussed and the importance of recognition of entity is stressed.

Keywords : Melanoma, excision, recurrence