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What Does This Vulva Biopsy Showing Intradermal Skin With Balloon Cell Changes Indicate?
Question: Hello,
I had a vulva biopsy and I don't understand if the results are cancer/malignant. Please help.
VULVA, BIOPSY:
INTRADERMAL MELANOCYTIC NEVUS OF THE SKIN WITH BALLOON CELL CHANGE.
LESION EXTENDS TO THE LATERAL EDGE AND BASE OF THE SPECIMEN. MULTIPLE
SERIAL SECTIONS HAVE BEE EXAMINED.
.
COMMENT: IMMUNOSTAIN FOR EMA IS NEGATIVE, EXCLUDING A SEBACEOUS TUMOR.
IMMUNOSTAIN FOR KI67 DEMONSTRATES A LESIONAL CELL CYCLING FRACTION OF
LESS THAN 2%. IMMUNOSTAIN FOR HMB45 IS NEGATIVE IN LESIONAL CELLS,
THOUGH IMMUNOSTAIN FOR S100 AND MART-1 ARE BOTH STRONGLY POSITIVE.
THIS PROFILE SUPPORTS THE ABOVE REACTIVE INTERPRETATION.
I had a vulva biopsy and I don't understand if the results are cancer/malignant. Please help.
VULVA, BIOPSY:
INTRADERMAL MELANOCYTIC NEVUS OF THE SKIN WITH BALLOON CELL CHANGE.
LESION EXTENDS TO THE LATERAL EDGE AND BASE OF THE SPECIMEN. MULTIPLE
SERIAL SECTIONS HAVE BEE EXAMINED.
.
COMMENT: IMMUNOSTAIN FOR EMA IS NEGATIVE, EXCLUDING A SEBACEOUS TUMOR.
IMMUNOSTAIN FOR KI67 DEMONSTRATES A LESIONAL CELL CYCLING FRACTION OF
LESS THAN 2%. IMMUNOSTAIN FOR HMB45 IS NEGATIVE IN LESIONAL CELLS,
THOUGH IMMUNOSTAIN FOR S100 AND MART-1 ARE BOTH STRONGLY POSITIVE.
THIS PROFILE SUPPORTS THE ABOVE REACTIVE INTERPRETATION.
Brief Answer:
This is a benign nonmalignant tumor.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Intradermal means that it is confined to the dermal layer of the skin.
Balloons Cell changes is a term that refers to some of the cells having clear pockets instead of being uniformly colored. This is a variation of the process but does not confer any greater risk.
Balloon cell changes have been described in melanomas, a aggressive skin cancer, however this is not a melanoma. The changes are only remarked upon because they are interesting to the pathologist not because it makes a benign condition anything other than benign. The main problem with balloon cell changes is that it is sometimes mistaken for clear-cell cancer. Obviously the pathologist making this report did not fall for that trap.
The fact that the Nevua extends to the border of the specimen only means that the entire nevus was not removed. if it had been entirely removed then the borders would not be involved.
The rest of the description is a list of the tests that were done to support that this is a benign tumor. I hope this is reassuring to you and you are now convinced as I am that this is completely benign
no further testing needs to be done.
regards,
This is a benign nonmalignant tumor.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Intradermal means that it is confined to the dermal layer of the skin.
Balloons Cell changes is a term that refers to some of the cells having clear pockets instead of being uniformly colored. This is a variation of the process but does not confer any greater risk.
Balloon cell changes have been described in melanomas, a aggressive skin cancer, however this is not a melanoma. The changes are only remarked upon because they are interesting to the pathologist not because it makes a benign condition anything other than benign. The main problem with balloon cell changes is that it is sometimes mistaken for clear-cell cancer. Obviously the pathologist making this report did not fall for that trap.
The fact that the Nevua extends to the border of the specimen only means that the entire nevus was not removed. if it had been entirely removed then the borders would not be involved.
The rest of the description is a list of the tests that were done to support that this is a benign tumor. I hope this is reassuring to you and you are now convinced as I am that this is completely benign
no further testing needs to be done.
regards,
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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