Medicina Molecular e Genética

Molecular Characterization of Spitz Tumors: An Approach to Improve Disease Diagnosis and Classification

Abstract

Giubellino A and Zhou Y

Spitz neoplasms are relatively uncommon melanocytic lesions characterized by an epithelioid or spindled cell morphology and present more commonly in younger age. They represent a spectrum from benign to malignant lesions which sometime represent a diagnostic conundrum. Recent advances in the genetic characterization of these lesions allow a better classification with consequent improvement in diagnostic accuracy and patient management. This review aims at summarizing our recent understanding of these lesions at the molecular level.