TY - JOUR
T1 - Microphthalmia transcription factor immunohistochemistry
T2 - A useful diagnostic marker in the diagnosis and detection of cutaneous melanoma, sentinel lymph node metastases, and extracutaneous melanocytic neoplasms
AU - O'Reilly, Fiona M.
AU - Brat, Daniel J.
AU - McAlpine, Barbara E.
AU - Grossniklaus, Hans E.
AU - Folpe, Andrew L.
AU - Arbiser, Jack L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by the American Skin Association and National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease grants AR44947, and AR02030, and the Emory Skin Disease Research Core Center grant P30 AR 42687.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Background: Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Diagnosis of amelanotic melanoma and detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes pose diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas for the dermatopathologist and clinician. Objective: The purpose of this article is to determine the utility of immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for microphthalmia in the identification of melanocytic lesions in the skin, eye, central nervous system, and sentinel lymph nodes. Methods: Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed specimens of cutaneous melanoma, including amelanotic melanoma and lentigo maligna melanoma, were stained with antibodies specific for microphthalmia. In addition, paraffin sections of extracutaneous lesions, including sentinel lymph nodes, uveal melanoma, and central nervous system melanocytomas, were stained with the specific microphthalmia antibody. Results: All cutaneous melanomas stained positively with microphthalmia, as did uveal melanomas and central nervous system melanocytomas. These findings confirm the melanocytic origin of melanocytomas and uveal melanomas and demonstrate that microphthalmia staining can be used to establish melanocytic origin of neoplasms. In addition, micrometastases were easily detected in sentinel lymph nodes. Conclusion: Microphthalmia transcription factor immunohistochemistry is a valuable tool in the identification of melanocytic lesions in numerous sites. Use of this stain may facilitate detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes.
AB - Background: Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Diagnosis of amelanotic melanoma and detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes pose diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas for the dermatopathologist and clinician. Objective: The purpose of this article is to determine the utility of immunohistochemistry using antibodies specific for microphthalmia in the identification of melanocytic lesions in the skin, eye, central nervous system, and sentinel lymph nodes. Methods: Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed specimens of cutaneous melanoma, including amelanotic melanoma and lentigo maligna melanoma, were stained with antibodies specific for microphthalmia. In addition, paraffin sections of extracutaneous lesions, including sentinel lymph nodes, uveal melanoma, and central nervous system melanocytomas, were stained with the specific microphthalmia antibody. Results: All cutaneous melanomas stained positively with microphthalmia, as did uveal melanomas and central nervous system melanocytomas. These findings confirm the melanocytic origin of melanocytomas and uveal melanomas and demonstrate that microphthalmia staining can be used to establish melanocytic origin of neoplasms. In addition, micrometastases were easily detected in sentinel lymph nodes. Conclusion: Microphthalmia transcription factor immunohistochemistry is a valuable tool in the identification of melanocytic lesions in numerous sites. Use of this stain may facilitate detection of micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes.
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U2 - 10.1067/mjd.2001.117526
DO - 10.1067/mjd.2001.117526
M3 - Article
C2 - 11511840
AN - SCOPUS:0034866110
VL - 45
SP - 414
EP - 419
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
SN - 0190-9622
IS - 3
ER -