Presenting Author:

Anna Elisa Verzì

Principal Investigator:

Pedram Gerami, M.D.

Department:

Dermatology

Keywords:

superficial spreading melanoma, malignant melanoma, prepubertal children, adolescent, FISH, histopathology, radial growt... [Read full text] superficial spreading melanoma, malignant melanoma, prepubertal children, adolescent, FISH, histopathology, radial growth phase, vertical growth phase [Shorten text]

Location:

Ryan Family Atrium, Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center

C7 - Clinical Women's Health Research

Pediatric Superficial Spreading Melanoma, A Single Institution Assessment

Cutaneous melanoma is rare in the pediatric population, particularly in the first decade of life, yet the incidence has been increasing in recent years. Unlike melanoma in the adult population, most cases are of the nodular subtype and superficial spreading type melanoma is relatively uncommon. Cutaneous melanoma accounts for 3% of all pediatric malignancies yet little is known about the natural history, risk factors, or typical presentation of melanoma in this population. We therefore present clinical and histologic data from pediatric patients with superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) seen at our institution over the last 10 years. A search of the Enterprise Data Warehouse system at Northwestern University identified 84 pediatric patients diagnosed with melanoma. Of these 84 cases, 38 were classified as non-Spitzoid SSM, 28 of which were in the radial growth phase (Group A) and 10 of which were in the vertical growth phase (Group B). FISH studies were positive in 14 of 22 total cases test (63.64%) which is in line with SSM in adults confirming that this entity although rare does occur in children. A majority of the radial growth phase melanomas were seen in female patients (67.86%) whereas a majority of the vertical growth phase melanomas were seen in males (70%). Melanoma affected mostly adolescents, defined as patients aged 11-18, in both groups (85.71% and 90% in Group A and Group B respectively). The average patient age was 14.53 in Group A (range 10 months - 18 years) and 14.3 (range 10-18 years) for Group B. Importantly SSM was especially uncommon in pre-purbertal children where it constitutes less than 15% of melanomas. Hence in the pediatric population and in particular in adolescence SSM is particularly rare but possible. Awareness of the likely subtypes of melanoma to occur in specific demographic categories will aid pediatric dermatologists in their ability to identify melanoma cases highly suspicious for melanoma and avoid unnecessary biopsies.