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Non‐sentinel lymph node involvement in a patient with an atypical Spitz tumor and a positive sentinel node. Report of a case and review of the literature
Author(s) -
Urso Carmelo,
Borgogi Lorenzo,
Doria Morena,
Tinacci Galliano,
Zini Enzo
Publication year - 2009
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/j.1600-0560.2008.01080.x
Subject(s) - spitz nevus , sentinel lymph node , medicine , lymphadenectomy , sentinel node , melanoma , pathology , lymph node , lymph , nevus , cancer , cancer research , breast cancer
We report a 20‐year‐old male patient with an atypical Spitz tumor, located in the dorsal aspect of his left hand, and a positive sentinel axillary lymph node. After lymphadenectomy, 1 of 23 non‐sentinel lymph nodes excised was found to contain small multiple deposits of large spindle atypical melanocytes. Reviewing the pertinent literature, 5 of 29 patients with atypical Spitz tumors and positive sentinel nodes who had undergone lymphadenectomy have shown non‐sentinel node involvement (17.2%), a proportion similar to that reported in melanoma patients. The exact nature of atypical Spitz tumors and the interpretation of cell deposits detected in sentinel nodes are still debated; data regarding the non‐sentinel lymph node involvement in patients with atypical Spitz tumors may contribute to better understand the real biological potential of such tumors.