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A melanocytic nevus is a type of melanocytic tumor that contains nevus cells. Some sources equate the term mole with "melanocytic nevus", but there are also sources that equate the term mole with any nevus form.
Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are three main types of skin cancers: basal-cell skin cancer (BCC), squamous-cell skin cancer (SCC) and melanoma. The first two, along with a number of less common skin cancers, are known as nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Basal-cell cancer grows slowly and can damage the tissue around it but is unlikely to spread to distant areas or result in death. It often appears as a painless raised area of skin that may be shiny with small blood vessels running over it or may present as a raised area with an ulcer. Squamous-cell skin cancer is more likely to spread. It usually presents as a hard lump with a scaly top but may also form an ulcer. Melanomas are the most aggressive. Signs include a mole that has changed in size, shape, color, has irregular edges, has more than one color, is itchy or bleeds.
Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye. In women, they most commonly occur on the legs, while in men, they most commonly occur on the back. About 25% of melanomas develop from moles. Changes in a mole that can indicate melanoma include an increase in size, irregular edges, change in color, itchiness, or skin breakdown.
Nevus is a nonspecific medical term for a visible, circumscribed, chronic lesion of the skin or mucosa. The term originates from nævus, which is Latin for "birthmark"; however, a nevus can be either congenital or acquired. Common terms, including mole, birthmark, and beauty mark, are used to describe nevi, but these terms do not distinguish specific types of nevi from one another.
Acral lentiginous melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer that is not caused by sunlight. Melanoma is a group of serious skin cancers that arise from pigment cells (melanocytes); acral lentiginous melanoma is a kind of lentiginous skin melanoma. Acral lentiginous melanoma is the most common subtype in people with darker skins and is rare in people with lighter skin types. It is not caused by exposure to sunlight or UV radiation, and wearing sunscreen does not protect against it. Acral lentiginous melanoma is commonly found on the palms, soles, under the nails, and in the oral mucosa. It occurs on non-hair-bearing surfaces of the body, which have not necessarily been exposed to sunlight. It is also found on mucous membranes.
Actinic keratosis (AK), sometimes called solar keratosis or senile keratosis, is a pre-cancerous area of thick, scaly, or crusty skin. Actinic keratosis is a disorder of epidermal keratinocytes that is induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. These growths are more common in fair-skinned people and those who are frequently in the sun. They are believed to form when skin gets damaged by UV radiation from the sun or indoor tanning beds, usually over the course of decades. Given their pre-cancerous nature, if left untreated, they may turn into a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Untreated lesions have up to a 20% risk of progression to squamous cell carcinoma, so treatment by a dermatologist is recommended.
Dermatopathology is a joint subspecialty of dermatology and pathology or surgical pathology that focuses on the study of cutaneous diseases at a microscopic and molecular level. It also encompasses analyses of the potential causes of skin diseases at a basic level. Dermatopathologists work in close association with clinical dermatologists, with many possessing further clinical training in dermatology.
A dysplastic nevus or atypical mole is a nevus (mole) whose appearance is different from that of common moles. In 1992, the NIH recommended that the term "dysplastic nevus" be avoided in favor of the term "atypical mole". An atypical mole may also be referred to as an atypical melanocytic nevus, atypical nevus, B-K mole, Clark's nevus, dysplastic melanocytic nevus, or nevus with architectural disorder.
Nodular melanoma (NM) is the most aggressive form of melanoma. It tends to grow more rapidly in thickness than in diameter compared to other melanoma subtypes. Instead of arising from a pre-existing mole, it may appear in a spot where a lesion did not previously exist. Since NM tends to grow in depth more quickly than it does in width, and can occur in a place that did not have a previous lesion, the prognosis is often worse because it takes longer for a person to be aware of the changes. NM is most often darkly pigmented; however, some NM lesions can be light brown, multicolored or even colorless (non-pigmented). A light-colored or non-pigmented NM lesion may escape detection because the appearance is not alarming, however an ulcerated and/or bleeding lesion is common. Polypoid melanoma is a virulent variant of nodular melanoma.
Lentigo maligna melanoma is a melanoma that has evolved from a lentigo maligna, as seen as a lentigo maligna with melanoma cells invading below the boundaries of the epidermis. They are usually found on chronically sun damaged skin such as the face and the forearms of the elderly.
Lentigo maligna is where melanocyte cells have become malignant and grow continuously along the stratum basale of the skin, but have not invaded below the epidermis. Lentigo maligna is not the same as lentigo maligna melanoma, as detailed below. It typically progresses very slowly and can remain in a non-invasive form for years.
The congenital melanocytic nevus is a type of melanocytic nevus found in infants at birth. This type of birthmark occurs in an estimated 1% of infants worldwide; it is located in the area of the head and neck 15% of the time.
Dermatoscopy is the examination of skin lesions with a dermatoscope.
Tinea nigra, also known as superficial phaeohyphomycosis and Tinea nigra palmaris et plantaris, is a superficial fungal infection, a type of phaeohyphomycosis rather than a tinea, that causes usually a single 1–5 cm dark brown-black, non-scaly, flat, painless patch on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet of healthy people. There may be multiple spots. The macules occasionally extend to the fingers, toes, and nails, and may be reported on the chest, neck, or genital area. Tinea nigra infections can present with multiple macules that can be mottled or velvety in appearance, and may be oval or irregular in shape. The macules can be anywhere from a few mm to several cm in size.
A blue nevus is a type of coloured mole, typically a single well-defined blue-black bump.
Skin biopsy is a biopsy technique in which a skin lesion is removed to be sent to a pathologist to render a microscopic diagnosis. It is usually done under local anesthetic in a physician's office, and results are often available in 4 to 10 days. It is commonly performed by dermatologists. Skin biopsies are also done by family physicians, internists, surgeons, and other specialties. However, performed incorrectly, and without appropriate clinical information, a pathologist's interpretation of a skin biopsy can be severely limited, and therefore doctors and patients may forgo traditional biopsy techniques and instead choose Mohs surgery. There are four main types of skin biopsies: shave biopsy, punch biopsy, excisional biopsy, and incisional biopsy. The choice of the different skin biopsies is dependent on the suspected diagnosis of the skin lesion. Like most biopsies, patient consent and anesthesia are prerequisites.
Halo nevus is a mole that is surrounded by a depigmented ring or 'halo'.
Teledermatology is a subspecialty in the medical field of dermatology and probably one of the most common applications of telemedicine and e-health. In teledermatology, telecommunication technologies are used to exchange medical information over a distance using audio, visual, and data communication. Applications comprise health care management such as diagnoses, consultation, and treatment as well as (continuous) education.
FotoFinder is a worldwide brand for medical imaging systems. The German company FotoFinder Systems GmbH was founded in 1991 and has developed imaging solutions for the early detection of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer as well as hair disorders diagnostics (TrichoLAB) and psoriasis assessment.
Pseudomelanoma is a cutaneous condition in which melanotic skin lesions clinically resemble a superficial spreading melanoma at the site of a recent shave removal of a melanocytic nevus.
References
- ↑ "ViDIR - Vienna Dermatologic Imaging Research Group". www.meduniwien.ac.at.
- ↑ "DERMA MEDICAL SYSTEMS". www.dermamedicalsystems.com.
- ↑ "Skin examination device".
- ↑ Beer, J; Xu, L; Tschandl, P; Kittler, H (2011). "Growth rate of melanoma in vivo and correlation with dermatoscopic and dermatopathologic findings". Dermatology Practical & Conceptual. 1 (1): 59–67. doi:10.5826/dpc.dp0101a13 (inactive 31 October 2021). PMC 3881085 . PMID 24396722.CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of October 2021 (link)
- ↑ Tschandl, P; Berghoff, AS; Preusser, M; Pammer, J; Pehamberger, H; Kittler, H (February 2016). "Impact of oncogenic BRAF mutations and p16 expression on the growth rate of early melanomas and naevi in vivo". The British Journal of Dermatology. 174 (2): 364–70. doi:10.1111/bjd.14323. PMID 26613644. S2CID 8174124.
- ↑ Salerni, G; Terán, T; Puig, S; Malvehy, J; Zalaudek, I; Argenziano, G; Kittler, H (July 2013). "Meta-analysis of digital dermoscopy follow-up of melanocytic skin lesions: a study on behalf of the International Dermoscopy Society". Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 27 (7): 805–14. doi:10.1111/jdv.12032. PMID 23181611. S2CID 29424565.
- ↑ Tschandl, P; Rosendahl, C; Kittler, H (14 August 2018). "The HAM10000 dataset, a large collection of multi-source dermatoscopic images of common pigmented skin lesions". Scientific Data. 5: 180161. arXiv: 1803.10417 . Bibcode:2018NatSD...580161T. doi:10.1038/sdata.2018.161. PMC 6091241 . PMID 30106392.