Bernardes SS, Ferreira I, Elder DE, Nobre AB, Martínez‐Said H, Adams DJ, Robles‐Espinoza CD, Possik PA. More than just acral melanoma: the controversies of defining the disease.
J Pathol Clin Res 2021;
7:531-541. [PMID:
34213090 PMCID:
PMC8503895 DOI:
10.1002/cjp2.233]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Acral melanoma (AM) is a malignant cutaneous melanocytic tumour specifically located on the palms, soles, and nail apparatus, which are areas of glabrous (hairless) skin. Acral lentiginous melanoma, a subtype of AM, represents a histopathological subtype diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma with unique morphological and structural features. Despite clear definitions, the misuse of these terms and the inconsistency in reporting the histopathological features of AM cases have become a major obstacle to the study of the disease. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, histopathological features, prognosis, and genetic profile of AM, highlighting the differences observed when histopathological subtypes are considered. The increasing global effort to characterise AM cases from ethnically diverse populations would benefit greatly from a more consistent classification of the disease.
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