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Animal-type melanoma: dog or wolf? A review of the literature and a case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2018

Luigia Stefania Stucci ,
Raffaele Palmirotta ,
Domenica Lovero ,
Erica Silvestris ,
Paola Cafforio ,
Claudia Felici ,
Annalisa Todisco ,
Eleonora Nacchiero ,
Federica Pezzuto  and
Marco Tucci
...Show all authors
Luigia Stefania Stucci
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Raffaele Palmirotta*
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Domenica Lovero
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Erica Silvestris
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Paola Cafforio
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Claudia Felici
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Annalisa Todisco
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Eleonora Nacchiero
Affiliation:
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Federica Pezzuto
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency and Organs Transplant, Division of Pathology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Marco Tucci
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
Franco Silvestris
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, P.zza G. Cesare, 11 – 70124 Bari, Italy
*
Author for correspondence: Raffaele Palmirotta, E-mail: raffaelepalmirotta@gmail.com
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Abstract

The human animal type melanoma (ATM) is a rare subtype of melanoma characterised by the proliferation of pigmented dermal epithelioid and spindled melanocytes. However, this variant of melanoma is still lacking a precise nosography definition and classification for the difficulty to be distinguished from other more common melanocytic lesions, as well as for its peculiar biological behaviour. On the other hand, the contribution of scientific literature to this issue is fragmented and limited to the description of very few cases. Starting from the presentation of a case with abnormally aggressive clinical features, here we revisit the current knowledge on ATM from its dermatologic patterns, epidemiology, demography and histopathology to the clinical management. Peculiar accuracy has also been reserved to several histopathologic criteria, which are critical for the differential diagnosis from other melanocytic diseases in junction with molecular data deriving from recent cytogenetic and mutational characterisation of this tumour.

Keywords

Animal type melanomadifferential diagnosisepidemiologygenomic characterisationmelanocytic disease
Type
Review
Information
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine , Volume 20 , 2018 , e5
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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