Molecular Diagnosis of Melanoma and Melanocytic Lesions in Clinical Practice

Molecular Diagnosis of Melanoma and Melanocytic Lesions in Clinical Practice by Travis Vandergriff MD

• A pagetoid pattern describes a scatter of cells proliferating throughout the superficial layers of the epidermis. This is generally considered to be a diagnostic hallmark of melanoma.
• Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a molecular cytogenetic technique that uses fluorescent probes that bind to only those parts of a nucleic acid sequence with a high degree of sequence complementarity. It is most helpful for atypical Spitzoid tumors, atypical blue nevi, and less helpful in dysplastic nevi.
• BRAF V600E mutations are present in the same frequency in melanomas and benign nevi. It is one of the earliest signs of mutation. Sixty percent of melanomas will have a BRAF mutation.