| Acquired
melanocytic naevi occur at any age and may present as a macule, plaque, papule or polyps. Some of these lesions may be lobulated or
pedunculated. The colour varies from between tan, brown to black. These lesions are both clinically and histologically symmetrical.
Variation according to the
site:
Vulvar or genital naevi
: In premenopausal woman show atypical histological features
characterized by enlarged junctional nests and variable shape , size and
position of nests. Pagetoid spread of melanocytes often present. In
pregnant woman nevi may display increase in basal melanocytes and
increased mitotic activity.
Flexural naevi : Display nested
pattern with variation in size and arrangement of nests.
Conjunctival naevi : Atypical
features are noted.
Palm and soles : There may be
diagnostic difficulty due to presence of skin markings (dermatoglyphics).
Acral lentiginous nevus present on plantar skin may display features
similar to dysplastic naevus. However, these lesions do not show any
evidence cytological atypia or lamellar fibroplasia .
Nail matrix naevi: These are mostly
junctional in type . In the compound lesions the naevus cells show
little maturation with depth. The pagetoid spread of cells is confined
to suprabasal layer.
JUNCTIONAL NAEVUS
Junctional naevi are characterized by evenly spaced theques and/or
lentiginous hyperplasia together with variable keratinocytic
hyperpigmentation.
Image Link
In junctional naevus the theques are of similar
size, gradually becoming smaller at the periphery.
Continuous runs of
melanocytes are also noted (lentiginous spread).
There is evidence of
circumscription characterised by presence of junctional theques at the
periphery. In malignant melanoma individual cells demarcate the periphery.
COMPOUND
NAEVUS
Compound naevi are characterized by junctional melanocytic theques as
well as melanocytes in the dermis. These are symmetrical lesions and
display homogeneous growth pattern. Shrinkage and separation artifacts
may be present. There is evidence of maturation with depth.
(Type A- round or epithelioid melanocytes in the papillary dermis;
Type-B- lymphocyte like in the mid -dermis; TypeC- neuroid of fusiform
in the deepest portion).
INTRADERMAL NAEVUS
Nevus cells are confined to the dermis. No epidermal junctional theques
are present. The cells demonstrate maturation with depth. The naevus
cells are arranged in nests or in cords and in the deeper part may
display neuroid differentiation.
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Degenerative (secondary) changes in naevi:
1. Amyloid
2. Bone
3. Neurofibroma like appearance
4. Adipose tisue (liponeuronevi)
5. Epidermal spongiosis -producing eczematous halo- Meyerson's nevus
6. Myxoid change
7. Increased elastic fibre in the dermis
8. Separation and shrinkage artifact (pseudovascular or lymphatic space
formation)
9.
Folliculitis
10. Tricholemmal , dermoid or epidermal cyst formation
11. Psammoma body formation
12.
Paramyxovirus
like inclusion
13. Focal epidermal necrosis
14. Incidental
molluscum contagiosum or associated
trichoepithelioma ,
basal cell carcinoma or
syringoma
.
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