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A clinical mimicker of melanoma with distinctive histopathology: Topical silver nitrate exposure
Author(s) -
Ondrasik Regina M.,
Jordan Parisa,
Sriharan Aravindhan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of cutaneous pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1600-0560
pISSN - 0303-6987
DOI - 10.1111/cup.13851
Subject(s) - histopathology , silver nitrate , pathology , dermatology , melanoma , histopathological examination , medicine , epidermis (zoology) , silver salts , chemistry , anatomy , cancer research , nuclear chemistry , organic chemistry
Exposure to silver‐containing compounds can result in reversible discoloration of the skin, presenting as an irregular brown or black macule, which can have a clinical appearance similar to melanoma. Both the clinical scenario and the histopathology are unique. Silver nitrate darkens with exposure to light, and the area can appear to change over time. On microscopic examination, there are coarse pigmented granules dispersed throughout the corneal layer, and largely absent from the remainder of the epidermis—although the precise location may depend on the duration of topical exposure. While argyria, its irreversible counterpart, has been well‐characterized, only a single source has previously reported the histopathology of transient topical silver nitrate exposure. We present two cases, review the clinical and histopathologic differentials, and detail the distinctive histopathology that enables a diagnosis to be suggested in this clinical mimicker of melanoma.