Abstract

The eponymic designation “Spitz nevus” refers to a benign melanocytic proliferation, which was first described in 1948 by Sophie Spitz as “melanoma of the childhood” [1]. Along with this original description, we presently consider as “classical” Spitz nevus a rapidly growing, pink or flesh-colored papule or nodule of the lower extremities or the face in childhood or early adulthood [2–6]. Its histopathological hallmark is the presence of large spindle and/or epithelioid cells, usually in the paucity or absence of melanin.

Keywords

Sentinel Lymph Node Melanocytic Nevus Cell Nevus Amelanotic Melanoma Dermoscopic Feature 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Literatur

  1. Spitz S. Melanomas of childhood. Am J Pathol 1948;24:591–609PubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Spatz A, Peterse S, Fletcher CDM, Barnhill RL. Plexiform Spitz nevus. Am J Dermatopathol 1999; 21: 542–546PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Gartman H, Ganser M. Der Spitz-Nevus, Spindelzellen und/oder Epitheloidzellennevus: eine klinische analyse von 652 tumoren. Z Hautkr 1985;60:22–28Google Scholar
  4. Kopf AW, Andrade R. Benign juvenile melanoma. In: Kopf AW, Andrade R, eds. Year book of dermatology. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publisher, 1966;7–52Google Scholar
  5. Weedon D. Lentigines, nevi and melanomas. In: Weedon D (ed) Skin pathology, 2nd edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2002;803–858Google Scholar
  6. Weedon D, Little JH. Spindle and epithelioid cell nevi in children and adults: a review of 211 cases of the Spitz nevus. Cancer 1977;40:217–225PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Reed RJ, Ichinose H, Clark WH, et al. Common and uncommon melanocytic nevi and borderline melanomas. Semin Oncol 1975;2:119–147PubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. Paniago-Pereira C, Maize JC, Ackerman AB. Nevus of large spindle and/or epithelioid cell (Spitz's nevus). Arch Dermatol 1978;112:1811–1823CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Barnhill RL, Barnhill MA, Berwick M, Mihm MC Jr. The histologic spectrum of pigmented spindle cell nevus: a review of 120 cases with emphasis on atypical variants. Hum Pathol 1991;22:53–58Google Scholar
  10. Barnhill RL, Mihm MC Jr. Pigmented spindle cell nevus and its variants distinction from melanoma.Br J Dermatol 1989;121:717–726PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Barnhill RL, Mihm MC Jr, Magro CM. Plexiform spindle cell nevus: a distinctive variant of plexiform melanocytic nevus. Histopathology 1991;18:243–247PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Gartmann H. Der Pigmentierte Spindelzellentumor. Z Hautkr. 1981;56:862–876PubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. Grossin M. Reed's nevus. Ann Dermatol Venereol 1992;119:145PubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. Sau P, Graham JH, Helwig EB. Pigmented spindle cell nevus: a clinicopathologic analysis of ninetyfive cases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1993;28:565–571PubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. Smith NP. The pigmented spindle cell tumor of Reed: an underdiagnosed lesion. Semin Diagn Pathol 1987;4:75–87PubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. Ferrara G, Argenziano G, Soyer HP, et al. The spectrum of Spitz nevi: a clinicopathologic study of 83 cases. Arch Dermatol 2005;141:1381–1387PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Barnhill RL. The spitzoid lesion: the importance of atypical variants and risk assessment. Am J Dermatopathol 2006;28:75–83PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Barnhill RL, Argenyi ZB, From L, et al. Atypical Spitz nevi/tumor: lack of consensus for diagnosis, discrimination from melanoma, and prediction of outcome. Hum Pathol 1999;30:513–520PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Smith K, Skelton H, Lupton G, Graham J. Spindle cell and epithelioid cell nevi with atypia and metastasis (malignant Spitz nevus). Am J Surg Pathol 1989;13:931–939PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Cerroni L. A new perspective for Spitz tumors? Am J Dermatopathol 2005;27:366–367PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. LeBoit PE. What do these cells mean? Am J Dermatopathol 25:355–356Google Scholar
  22. Mones JM, Ackerman AB. “Atypical” Spitz's nevus, “malignant” Spitz's nevus, and “metastasizing” Spitz's nevus: a critique in historical perspective of three concepts flawed fatally. Am J Dermatopathol 2004;26:310–333PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Urso C, Borgognoni L, Saieva C, Ferrara G, Tinacci G, Begliomini B, Reali UM. Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with atypical Spitz tumors. A report on 12 cases. Hum Pathol 37:816–823Google Scholar
  24. Ackerman AB. Garble that derives from lack of definition. Am J Dermatopathol 2005;27:369–370PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Bastian BC, LeBoit PE, Pinkel D. Mutations and copy number increase of HRAS in Spitz nevi with distinctive histopathological features. Am J Pathol 2000;157:967–972PubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. Curtin JA, Fridlyand J, Kageshita T, Patel HN, Busan KJ, Kutzner H, Cho KH, Aiba S, Broecker EB, LeBoit PE, Pinkel D, Bastian BC. Distinct sets of genetic alterations in melanoma. N Engl J Med 2005;353:2135–2147PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Gill M, Cohen J, Renwick N, et al. Genetic similarities between Spitz nevus and spitzoid melanoma in children. Cancer 2004;101:2636–2640PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Palmedo G, Hantschke M, Ruetten A, Mentzel T, Huegel H, Flaig MJ, Yazdi AS, Sander CA, Kutzner H. The T1796A mutation of the BRAF gene is absent in Spitz nevi. J Cutan Pathol 2004;31:266PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Dal Pozzo V, Benelli C, Restano L, Gianotti R, Cesana BM. Clinical review of 247 case records of Spitz nevus (epithelioid cell and/or spinale cell nevus). Dermatology 1997;194:20–25CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Casso EM, Grin-Jorgensen CM, Grant-Kels JM. Continuating medical education: Spitz nevi. J Am Acad Dermatol 1992;27:901–913PubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. Sagebiel RW, Chinn EK, Egbert BM. Pigmented spindle cell nevus: clinical and histologic review of 90 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 1984;8:645–653PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Spatz A, Calonje E, Handfield-Jones S, Barnhill RL. Spitz nevus in children. A grading system for risk stratification. Arch Dermatol 199;135:282–285Google Scholar
  33. Palazzo JP, Duray PH. Congenital agminated Spitz nevi. Immunoreactivity with a melanomaassociated monoclonal antibody. J Cutan Pathol 1988;15:166–170PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Zaenglein AL, Heintz P, Kamino H, Zisblatt M, Orlow SJ. Congenital Spitz nevus clinically mimicking melanoma. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;47:441–444PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Yasaka N, Furue M, Tamaki K. Histopathological evaluation of halo phenomenon in Spitz nevus. Am J Dermatopathol 1995;17:484–486PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Fass J, Grimwood RE, Kraus E, Hyman J. Adult onset of eruptible widespread Spitz's nevi. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:S141–S143CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Lancer HA, Muhlbauer JE, Sober AJ. Multiple agminated spindle cell nevi. Unique clinical presentation and review. J Am Acad Dermatol 1983;8:707–711PubMedGoogle Scholar
  38. Smith SA, Day CL. Eruptive widespread Spitz nevi. J Am Acad Dermatol 1986;15:1155–1159PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Renfro L, Grant-Kels JM, Brown SA. Multiple agminate Spitz nevi. Pediatr Dermatol 1989;6:114–117PubMedGoogle Scholar
  40. Aloi F, Tomasini C, Pippione M. Agminated Spitz nevi occurring within a congenital speckled lentiginous nevus. Am J Dermatopathol 1995;17:594–598PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Kaye VN, Dehner LP. Spindle and epithelioid cell nevus (Spitz nevus). Natural history following biopsy. Arch Dermatol 1990;126:1581–1583PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Gambini C, Rongioletti F. Recurrent Spitz nevus. Case reoprt and review of the literature. Am J Dermatopathol 1994;16:409–413PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Krasovec M, Gianadda B, Hohl D. Giant recurrence of an agminated Spitz nevus. J Am Acad Dermatol 1995;33:386–388PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Peris K, Ferrari A, Argenziano G, et al. Dermoscopic classification of Spitz/Reed nevi. Clin Dermatol 2002;20:259–262PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. Argenziano G, Zalaudek I, Corona R, Sera F, Cicale L, Petrillo G, Ruocco E, Hofmann-Wellenhof R, Soyer HP. Vascular structures in skin tumors: a dermoscopy study. Arch Dermatol 2004;140:1485–1489PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Argenziano G, Soyer HP, Ferrara G, et al. Superficial black network: an additional dermoscopic clue for the diagnisis of spindle and/or epithelioid cell nevus. Dermatology 2001;203:333–335PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  47. Pizzichetta MA, Argenziano G, Grandi G, Giacomi C de, Trevisan G, Soyer HP. Morphologic changes of a pigmented Spitz nevus assesed by dermoscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol.2002;47:137–139Google Scholar
  48. Argenziano G, Soyer HP, Giorgi V de, et al. Interactive atlas of dermoscopy (Book and CD-ROM). Milan: Edra Medical Publishing and New Media, 2000Google Scholar
  49. Argenziano G, Soyer HP, Chimenti S, et al. Dermoscopy of pigmented skin lesion: results of a cosensus meeting via the Internet. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:679–693PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Argenziano G, Scalvenzi M, Staibano S, et al. Dermatoscopic pitfalls in differentiating pigmented Spitz nevi from cutaneous melanomas. Br J Dermatol 1999;141:788–793PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Busam KJ, Barnhill RL. Pagetoid Spitz nevus. Intraepidermal Spitz tumor with prominent pagetoid spread. Am J Surg Pathol 1995;19:1061–1067PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  52. Kamino H, Flotte TJ, Misheloff E. Eosinophilic globules in Spitz's nevi. New findings and a diagnostic sign. Am J Dermatopathol 1979;1:319–324PubMedGoogle Scholar
  53. Choi JH, Sung KJ, Koh JK. Pigmented epithelioid cell naevus: a variant of Spitz naevus? J Am Acad Dermatol 1993;28:497–498PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Ferrara G, Crisman G, Soyer HP, Zalaudek I, Argenziano G. Intraepidermal dendritic melanocytes in spitzoid neoplasms. Am J Dermatopathol 28:449–450Google Scholar
  55. Maize JC, Ackerman AB (eds). Spitz's nevus. In: Pigmented lesion of the skin. Philadelphia, Lea and Febiger; 1987:228–242Google Scholar
  56. Barr RJ, Morales RV, Graham JH. Desmoplastic nevus. A distinct histologic variant of mixed spindle cell and epithelioid cell nevus. Cancer 1980;46:557–564PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  57. Diaz-Cascajo C, Borghi S, Weyers W. Angiomatoid Spitz nevus. A distinct variant of desmoplastic Spitz nevus with prominent vasculature. Am J Dermatopathol 2000;22:135–139PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  58. Urso C. A new perspective for Spitz tumors? Am J Dermatopathol 2005;27:364–365PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  59. Zalaudek I, Ferrara G, Argenziano G, Ruocco V, Soyer HP. Diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous melanoma: a practical guide. Skin Med 2003;2:20–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  60. Brunetti B, Nino M, Sammarco E, Scalvenzi M. Spitz naevus: a proposal for management. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2005;19:391Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007

Personalised recommendations