Morphometric, DNA, And Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antiaen (PCNA) Measurements In Benign Melanocytic Lesions And Malignant Melanoma

Abstract

Malignant melanoma showed increased incidence in Western World. While in Egypt, M.M. is still considered to be a rare neoplasm comprising about 0.005%< 294> of total cancer cases; yet it is the most common potentially fatal neoplasm of the skin.

Clark's04l in (1984) had postulated lesional steps for a common acquired melanocytic nevus to progress into dysplastic nevus; to radial growth phase, then vertical growth phase and lastly, to metastatic melanoma.

In this study; proliferative markers, namely, Image analyzer assisted morphometry; cytometry. (ICM), and PCNA-immunostaining were applied to melanocytic skin lesions, in order to assess their diagnostic and prognostic values. These studied parameters allowed the differentiation between benign, borderline and malignant cases.

The material of the present work comprised (20) cases ofM.M, and (40) cases of benign nevi as a comparative control, collected pro and retrospectively from pathology departments in Faculty of Medicine, and medical Research Institute, University of Alexandria.

The benign melanocytic lesions were furtherly divided into (26) cases of common acquired nevi collected at variable grades of maturation; (3) congenital nevi, (3) blue nevi, (2) combined nevi, (3) Spitz's nevi and (3) dysplastic or atypical nevi.