Michael Sidiropoulos1, Roxana Obregon1, Chelsea Cooper1, Lauren Meldi Sholl1, Joan Guitart2, Pedram Gerami3. 1. Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. 2. Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. 3. Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: pgerami@nmff.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Primary dermal melanoma (PDM) is a subtype of melanoma confined to the dermis that may be morphologically impossible to distinguish from cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM). OBJECTIVE: We sought to better characterize PDM by describing the clinical, histologic, and molecular features of 49 cases of PDM and determine whether a gene expression-profiling test could help distinguish PDM from CMM. METHODS: We describe 49 cases of PDM and determined whether any clinical or histopathologic features had a statistically significant relationship with outcome. Secondly, we performed a melanoma gene expression-profiling test on a subset of the PDM and CMM cases. RESULTS: Overall recurrence was infrequent and seen in 9 of 49 cases. Six patients had locoregional recurrences and 3 patients had distant metastasis. None of the clinical or histologic parameters showed a statistically significant relationship with recurrence. There was a statistically significant association of a class I signature by DecisionDx-Melanoma assay (Castle Biosciences Inc, Friendswood, TX) for PDM whereas CMM were more frequently class II (P value = .023). LIMITATIONS: The mean follow-up time was 26 months. CONCLUSIONS: Most conventional staging parameters used for prognosis in cutaneous melanoma have limited applicability to PDM. The melanoma prognostic assay may be a useful tool for distinguishing PDM from CMM.
BACKGROUND:Primary dermal melanoma (PDM) is a subtype of melanoma confined to the dermis that may be morphologically impossible to distinguish from cutaneous metastatic melanoma (CMM). OBJECTIVE: We sought to better characterize PDM by describing the clinical, histologic, and molecular features of 49 cases of PDM and determine whether a gene expression-profiling test could help distinguish PDM from CMM. METHODS: We describe 49 cases of PDM and determined whether any clinical or histopathologic features had a statistically significant relationship with outcome. Secondly, we performed a melanoma gene expression-profiling test on a subset of the PDM and CMM cases. RESULTS: Overall recurrence was infrequent and seen in 9 of 49 cases. Six patients had locoregional recurrences and 3 patients had distant metastasis. None of the clinical or histologic parameters showed a statistically significant relationship with recurrence. There was a statistically significant association of a class I signature by DecisionDx-Melanoma assay (Castle Biosciences Inc, Friendswood, TX) for PDM whereas CMM were more frequently class II (P value = .023). LIMITATIONS: The mean follow-up time was 26 months. CONCLUSIONS: Most conventional staging parameters used for prognosis in cutaneous melanoma have limited applicability to PDM. The melanoma prognostic assay may be a useful tool for distinguishing PDM from CMM.
Authors: Raquel Bissacotti Steglich; Silvana Cardoso; Maria Helena da Costa Naumann Gaertner; Karina Munhoz de Paula Alves Coelho; Tania Ferreira Cestari; Selma Cristina Franco Journal: An Bras Dermatol Date: 2018 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 1.896