Spindle and/or epithelioid cells nevi in pediatric age: are they different from those of adults? A clinical review of 187 cases

G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2011 Apr;146(2):89-93.

Abstract

Aim: Spindle and/or epithelioid cells nevi represent the spectrum of a clinico-pathologic entity with different characteristics. Aim of the study is to provide information about the differences in characteristics of these nevi for different groups of age.

Methods: Two different groups are considered: younger than 15 years and older than 15 years. An analysis of 187 spindle and/or epithelioid cells nevi was performed. Forty-five pediatric patients (24 males and 21 females) and 142 adult patients (44 males and 98 females) were examined. Age, sex, type of nevus, location, clinical characteristics were evaluated.

Results: Spindle and epithelioid cells nevi were observed in 53% of the pediatric and in 45% of adult patients. Female more frequently presented with spindle nevus cell both in pediatric (56%) and in adult (70%) cases. In pediatric patients, the anatomical distribution was prevalent in the areas of the head and neck. Pigmentation was not a distinctive feature of pediatric cases and only interested the spindle and epithelioid cells nevi. The regularity of borders was not a distinctive character for neither of the groups of patients. Uniformity in color occurred more frequently in pediatric patients.

Conclusion: Spindle and/or epithelioid nevi belong to the same spectrum of pathologies, they behave differently in the different groups of age thus permitting a certain degree of clinical distinction in different age groups.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / pathology
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Algorithms
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Head / pathology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neck / pathology
  • Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / diagnosis
  • Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / epidemiology
  • Nevus, Epithelioid and Spindle Cell / pathology*
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Skin Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Skin Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thorax / pathology