Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound monitoring of melanomas arising in congenital melanocytic nevi: a case series

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound monitoring of melanomas arising in congenital melanocytic nevi: a case series Via Melanoma Research - Published Ahead-of-Print The aims of our study were to evaluate with ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) the ultrasound features of congenital melanocytic nevi (CMNs) and malignant melanomas (MMs) arising in CMNs and the correlation between ultrasonographic thickness and histological thickness in MMs. We evaluated 10 patients with small-medi um CMNs and 10 patients with MMs arising in small-medium CMNs. We collected patient's data, clinical and dermoscopic features. The UHFUS was performed using a 70 MHz frequency probe to study the ecostructure, shape and vascularization. Breslow thickness was compared with ultrasonographic thickness. In the MMs group the following dermoscopic features were described: hyperpigmentation (n = 9), regression area (n = 6), whitish-blue veil (n = 5), thickened network (n = 5), irregular globules (n = 3), inverse network (n = 2) and striae (n = 1). Hyperpigmentation (n = n = 9), thickened network (n = 7), irregular globules (n = 5), regression area (n = 5), striae (n = 1) and whitish-blue veil (n = 1) were found in the CMNs group. The multicomponent pattern was present in both MMs (n = 4) and in CMNs (n = 5). Moreover, the parameters indicative of suspected malignancy were variously combined in the two groups, without showing significant differences in the statistical analysis; with the ex ception of the blue veil that correlated with the diagnosis of MM. Ultrasonoghaphic vascularization was an ever-present parameter in MMs (100%), with high intensity of intratumoral signal, as opposed to CMNs. We also found a statistically significant correlation between ultrasound thickness and Breslow thickness. In the future, this technique could implement the diagnostic preoperative phase of MMs arising in CMNs in combination with standard clinical-dermatoscopic evaluation. Received 20 May 2021 Accepted 22 August 2021 Correspondence to Agata Janowska, MD, Department of Dermatology, University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56127, Pisa, Italia, Tel: +39 050 992436; fax: +39 050 992556; e-mail: dottoressajanowska@gmail.com Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.