Basal-Cell Carcinoma Occurring in Cutaneous Infundibular Cysts: Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature.

Cysts lined by stratified squamous epithelium indistinguishable from the epidermis, referred to as epidermoid cysts, epidermal inclusion cysts, and infundibular cysts, are the most common type of cyst occurring in the skin. They are invariably benign, and malignant neoplasms arising within the wall of such cysts are distinctly uncommon. Even basal-cell carcinoma, which is the most common cutaneous malignant neoplasm of the skin, has rarely been reported to occur in association with epidermoid cysts.

Basal cell carcinoma with myoepithelial differentiation.

A lesion from the left cheek of a 48-year-old man showed a neoplasm composed primarily of cells with eccentric crescent-shaped nuclei and abundant, homogenous, eosinophilic cytoplasm resembling signet ring cells. Immunohistochemical studies showed the cells to stain positively for pan cytokeratin and smooth muscle actin, indicating myoepithelial differentiation (MED). Foci of conventional basal cell carcinoma were present, and cells with MED were also admixed within some of the aggregations of basal cell carcinoma.

Genetic similarities between Spitz nevus and Spitzoid melanoma in children.

Background: Melanoma in children is rare. Diagnosis of the subtype of melanoma known as Spitzoid melanoma can be extremely challenging in this age group. Spitzoid melanoma clinically and histopathologically resembles a benign melanocytic proliferation referred to as Spitz nevus.

"Atypical" blue nevus, "malignant" blue nevus, and "metastasizing" blue nevus: a critique in historical perspective of three concepts flawed fatally.

The same errors that spawned, sustained, and continue to spur the notions of "atypical" Spitz's nevus, "malignant" Spitz's nevus, and "metastasizing" Spitz's nevus are animating of 3 other concepts flawed equally, namely, those of "atypical blue nevus," "malignant blue nevus," and "metastasizing blue nevus." Our intention here is to compel to the conclusion, by way of critique in historical perspective, that all neoplasms claimed to be "malignant blue nevus" and "metastasizing blue nevus;" in fact, are melanomas, that all "atypical blue nevi" are either a nevus or a melanoma, and that the trio of curious designations that serve as title of this work are mere evasions transparently from a diagnosis, straightforwardly, of 1 of only 3 possibilities, to wit, "blue nevus," melanoma, or melanoma in association with a "blue nevus." Rather than admit uncertainty forthrightly, those who employ circumlocutions that we deplore, such as those under scrutiny here, resort to linguistic maneuvers that, at first blush, seem to have the cachet of scholarship (the jargon used being in keeping with a slew of other well-accepted, but equally bogus diagnoses in [dermato]pathology, among those being "minimal deviation melanoma," "borderline melanoma," "nevoid melanoma," "potentially low-grade melanocytic neoplasm," and "melanocytic proliferation of uncertain biologic potential").

"Atypical" Spitz's nevus, "malignant" Spitz's nevus, and "metastasizing" Spitz's nevus: a critique in historical perspective of three concepts flawed fatally.

Our purpose in undertaking this Arbeit was to review all articles published about "atypical" Spitz's nevus, "malignant" Spitz's nevus, and "metastasizing" Spitz's nevus, to criticize them in a fashion that illuminates, and to come to conclusions compellingly about those subjects. We found that an overwhelming majority of neoplasms that claimed to be "atypical Spitz's nevus," "metastasizing Spitz's nevus," and "malignant Spitz's nevus" were, in fact, melanomas ( Table 1). Moreover, in our estimation, those designations, and variants of them, like "atypical Spitz's lesion," "atypical dermal melanocytic lesion with features of Spitz's nevus," "atypical Spitzoid melanocytic neoplasm," and "problematic Spitzoid melanocytic lesion," are mere evasions from a diagnosis, straightforwardly, of either Spitz's nevus or melanoma.

Melanomas in prepubescent children: review comprehensively, critique historically, criteria diagnostically, and course biologically.

Our series was comprised of 11 children age 10 years or younger (6 were younger than age 5) with primary cutaneous melanoma. All of the melanomas occurred de novo and all metastasized; one child died. In no instance was melanoma a clinical consideration, and in none did the histopathologist who first "signed out" the case make a diagnosis of melanoma.