Publications by authors named "A Zembowicz"
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being utilized as an ancillary tool for diagnostically challenging melanocytic neoplasms. It is incumbent upon the pathology community to perform studies assessing the benefits and limitations of these tools in specific diagnostic scenarios. One of the most challenging diagnostic scenarios faced by skin pathologists involves accurate diagnosis of desmoplastic melanocytic neoplasms (DMNs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Drivers of Spitz neoplasms are linked to mutations in HRAS and genomic fusions, while some BRAF-mutated melanocytic neoplasms can resemble Spitz tumors, leading to the classification known as BRAF mutated and morphologically spitzoid (BAMS).
- A study involving 17 pathologists assessed 54 cases, including 40 BAMS and 14 true Spitz tumors, without access to genomic data, and found a split in diagnostic preferences with about 38% identifying BAMS and 32% identifying ST among BAMS cases.
- The study highlighted significant difficulty in distinguishing BAMS from true Spitz tumors, with poor agreement among experts on precise diagnosis (kappa = 0.16), although there was
Desmoplastic melanoma is a subtype of melanoma characterised by amelanotic fusiform melanocytes dispersed in a collagenous stroma. Cell-poor and fibrous stroma-rich 'pure' variants have been distinguished from 'mixed' variants with areas of higher cell density and/or less desmoplastic stroma. This distinction is relevant because patients whose tumours display a pure phenotype have a lower risk for regional lymph node metastasis and distant recurrence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: A standardized pathology classification system for melanocytic lesions is needed to aid both pathologists and clinicians in cataloging currently existing diverse terminologies and in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The Melanocytic Pathology Assessment Tool and Hierarchy for Diagnosis (MPATH-Dx) has been developed for this purpose.
Objective: To revise the MPATH-Dx version 1.
Background: Spitzoid melanocytic neoplasms can be challenging to diagnose on histopathology alone. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers promise as a valuable aid in the diagnosis. Recently, one study reported increased inter-rater agreement in the diagnosis of spitzoid melanocytic neoplasms among 20 expert melanoma pathologists after incorporating NGS data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF