Spitz naevi ( spitzoid )

This is a rare, benign, reddish-brown naevus seen in juveniles. It may occur in people of older age groups too, although it is highly unlikely in people older than 50 years of age (1,2).

Spitz naevus usually presents as a solitary lesion on the lower extremities or the face (3).

Generally, it is a dome shaped non-ulcerated lesion. It may be composed of spindle and epithelioid cells. The naevus may contain both junctional and dermal components, or it may be either entirely junctional or intradermal (2).

Cytological examination of this naevus reveals characteristics consistent with malignant melanoma although the architecture is regular. A constellation of histological features helps differentiate Spitz naevi from melanomas, but this is not always reliable (4).

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Reference:

• (1). Gill M, et al. Genetic Similarities between Spitz Nevus and Spitzoid Melanoma in Children. Cancer 2004;101:2636-2640
• (2). Gamblin TC, et al. Sentinel lymph node biopsy for atypical melanocytic lesions with spitzoid features. Ann Surg Oncol 2006;13:1664–70
• (3). Ferrara G, et al. The Spectrum of Spitz Nevi A clinicopathologic study of 83 cases. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:1381-1387
• (4). Kantrow SM, et al. Expression of activated Akt in benign nevi, Spitz nevi and melanomas. J Cutan Pathol. 2007;34(8):593-596