Spindle Cell Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of the melanocytes. These are the cells present in the skin and the eyes. They are responsible for the skin color of a individual. Melanoma is regarded as the most lethal form of skin cancer. An early detection gives the patients a greater opportunity for survival. Melanoma is a principal metastasizing tumor and is described as a main tumor. 1 of the forms of melanoma is neurotropic melanoma. It is characterized by spindle shaped cells showing patterns of neuroma.

In neurotropic melanoma, there is an abrasion that produces a cutaneous fibrous tumor. Neurotropic melanoma outcomes in a perineural invasion and expansion along peripheral nerves. Its microscopic picture is characterized by patterns of schwann and spindle cells. They appear as poorly defined margins. It is hard to diagnose this pattern as it can be confused with the sarcomatous lesions.

Desmoplastic melanomas, spindle cell melanomas and neurotropic melanomas are all malignant tumours of the very same cell. Spindle cell melanomas have cells, lesions of which are significant and epithelioid or rounded. Epithelioid and spindle cell nodular melanoma have specific characteristics of the lesion. It is a prominent, ulcerated expansive nodule, involving papillary and reticular dermis. It contains elastotic material and shows epidermal collarette.

The lesions are observed on the head and neck region of the patient. They are present as bulky firm fibrous masses of tumor, normally amelanotic lesions. Their microscopic observations show poor, demarcated, infiltrating intradermal tumors, typically with sparse cellularity. The tumor consists of elongated spindle-shaped or fibroblast cells, surrounded by mature collagen bundles. Spindle cell melanomas are frequent. The cells of such lesions are big, epithelioid or rounded. The tumor displays fascicular or storiform growth pattern. Often spindle cell patterns in the dermal component of a melanoma are typically mistaken for the patterns of a spitz.