Clinical and dermoscopic features of atypical Spitz tumors: A multicenter, retrospective, case-control study

Abstract

Background: Few studies have described the clinical and dermoscopic features of atypical Spitz tumors.

Objective: We sought to describe the clinical and dermoscopic features of a series of atypical Spitz tumors as compared with those of conventional Spitz nevi.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, case-control study, analyzing the clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of 55 atypical Spitz tumors and 110 Spitz nevi that were excised and diagnosed histopathologically.

Results: The majority of atypical Spitz tumors presented clinically as a plaque or nodule, dermoscopically typified by a multicomponent or nonspecific pattern. A proportion of lesions (16.4%) exhibited the typical nonpigmented Spitzoid pattern of dotted vessels and white lines under dermoscopy. Nodularity, ulceration, linear vessels, polymorphic vessels, white lines, and blue-white veil were associated with atypical Spitz tumors by univariate analysis, but only nodularity and white lines remained significant after multivariate analysis. In contrast, a pigmented typical Spitzoid pattern was a potent predictor of Spitz nevi, associated with 6.5-fold increased probability.

Limitations: Differentiation from Spitzoid melanoma and other nonmelanocytic lesions was not investigated.

Conclusion: Atypical Spitz tumors are polymorphic melanocytic proliferations with a nodular clinical appearance. Dermoscopically they demonstrate a multicomponent and nonspecific pattern. A typical nonpigmented Spitzoid pattern on dermoscopy (with dotted vessels and white lines) does not exclude atypical Spitz tumors.

Keywords: Spitz nevus; atypical Spitz tumor; dermoscopy; histopathology; melanoma; skin cancer.