CLINICAL AND LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS

Changes observed in slow-growing melanomas during long-term dermoscopic monitoring

  1. V. Terushkin1,
  2. S.W. Dusza1,
  3. A. Scope1,
  4. G. Argenziano2,
  5. P. Bahadoran3,
  6. L. Cowell4,
  7. V. De Giorgi5,
  8. G. Ferrara6,
  9. H. Kittler7,
  10. J. Malvehy8,
  11. S. Menzies9,
  12. D. Piccolo10,
  13. S. Puig8,
  14. P. Rubegni11,
  15. I. Stanganelli12,
  16. L. Thomas13,
  17. I. Zalaudek14,
  18. A.A. Marghoob1

Article first published online: 18 MAY 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10846.x

Issue

British Journal of Dermatology

British Journal of Dermatology

Volume 166, Issue 6, pages 1213–1220, June 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Terushkin, V., Dusza, S.W., Scope, A., Argenziano, G., Bahadoran, P., Cowell, L., De Giorgi, V., Ferrara, G., Kittler, H., Malvehy, J., Menzies, S., Piccolo, D., Puig, S., Rubegni, P., Stanganelli, I., Thomas, L., Zalaudek, I. and Marghoob, A.A. (2012), Changes observed in slow-growing melanomas during long-term dermoscopic monitoring. British Journal of Dermatology, 166: 1213–1220. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10846.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 160 East 53rd Street, New York, NY, 10022, U.S.A.

  2. 2

    Dermatology Unit, Medical Department, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy

  3. 3

    Dermatology Unit, Hospital Achet 2, Nice, France

  4. 4

    The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia

  5. 5

    Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

  6. 6

    Pathologic Anatomy Service, Gaetano Rummo General Hospital, Benevento, Italy

  7. 7

    Division of General Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

  8. 8

    Dermatology Department, Melanoma Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Barcelona, Spain

  9. 9

    The Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre and The Discipline of Dermatology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

  10. 10

    Department of Dermatology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

  11. 11

    Department of Dermatology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

  12. 12

    Skin Cancer Unit, Romagna Cancer Institute, IRST Meldola and Niguarda Hospital, Milano, Italy

  13. 13

    Dermatology Unit, Hôtel Dieu de Lyon, Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France

  14. 14

    Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

*Ashfaq A. Marghoob. E-mail: marghooa@mskcc.org

  1. Funding sources No external funding.

  2. Conflicts of interest None declared.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 25 MAY 2012
  2. Article first published online: 18 MAY 2012
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 27 JAN 2012 10:33AM EST
  4. Accepted for publication 19 January 2012

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Summary

Background  Melanomas vary in growth rate from rapidly developing nodular melanomas to slow-growing melanomas (SGM) that hardly change over years.

Objectives  To evaluate longitudinal changes in dermoscopic findings of SGM.

Methods  We retrospectively analysed a dermoscopic image dataset from 15 pigmented lesion clinics, of SGM that were followed sequentially by digital dermoscopy for at least 1 year. We evaluated baseline and follow-up images for changes in global pattern, organization, colours, structure and size.

Results  Our series consisted of 92 SGM. On follow-up, these melanomas developed the following dermoscopic findings: more homogeneous and less reticular global dermoscopic pattern; more frequent disorganization of pattern (baseline, 67% vs. follow-up, 79%); decreased prominence of light brown colour, increased prominence of dark brown colour, and increased frequency of the colours red, white, grey, blue and black (baseline: 29%, 3%, 18%, 6% and 33% vs. follow-up: 41%, 10%, 31%, 13% and 45%, respectively); decrease in prominence of dermoscopic structure of pigmented network, with a concomitant increase in prominence of structureless areas; and increased prominence or new appearance of melanoma-specific dermoscopic structures, including negative network, blue–white structures and blotches. The majority of lesions (75%) remained the same size or grew by < 2 mm in diameter. An increase in lesion size was associated with change in the total number of colours and structures (χ2 = 14·3, P = 0·027) at follow-up.

Conclusions  While their diameter changed minimally over time, most SGM became more disorganized, revealed loss of network in favour of structureless areas, and developed new colours.

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