Melanocytic tumors;

teratomas
Workshop 11
 Melanocytic tumors

• Melanocytic tumors originate in

melanocytic cells
– These cells are synthesizing melanic pigment
• There are 2 types of melanocytic tumors:
– benign: nevi
– malignant: malignant melanomas
 Nevi
• They are cutaneous benign
melanocyte tumors
• They have origin in the melanocytes
from basal layer of epidermis
• Microscopically, nevi could be
 epidermal or jonctional
 compound
 dermal
 Picture 5

Compound nevus

• Nests of nevus cells in

epidermis and
subjacent dermis
• The nevus cells have
uniform, round nuclei,
without mitotic activity
• By passing from
epidermis toward
dermis the nevus cells
become smaller and
elongated –
phenomena called
maturation
 Cutaneous malignant melanoma
• It is a malignant tumor with origin in the epidermal melanocytes
• Microscopy: 2 types of growing
– Horizontal or radial growth superficial malignant melanoma
– Vertical growth  nodular malignant melanoma
• Microscopically, there are two histological types:
 Round or poligonal cells  Epitheloid malignant melanoma
 Fusiforme cells  Sarcomatoid malignant melanoma
 Malignant
melanoma
 The tumor has an infiltrative
character in the subjacent
dermis
 The tumor is composed from
sheets of atypical, spindle
melanocytes with elongated,
hyperchromatic and
pleomorphic nuclei with atypical
mitoses.
 The stroma is reduced and
contains melanophages
(macrophages with melanic
pigment)
 The tumor contains necrotic
areas.
 Teratomas
• Teratomas are complex tumors, consisting of multiple tissue types,
with origin in germinal multipotent cells at the level of one or all 3
embryonal layers (ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal layers)
• Classification (depending on the tissue type):
– After location: mid line or paramedian line of the body:
(a) the median line: the sacro-coccigian, mediastinal, retroperitoneal, or
cervical region;
(b) paramedian zones: ovary, testis.
– After gross appearances:
• Cystic tumors
• Solid tumors
• Mixt tumors: solid tumor with mycrocystic structures
– After evolution of teratomas there are 2 main types of tumors:
(a) benign
• usually, cystic lesion  mature tissues; e.g. Ovary mature dermoyd cyst
• rarely, solid tumor mature tissues; e.g. testicular mature solid teratoma
(b) malignant  immature solid tumors;
 Mature micro
cystic/solid
testicular teratoma
• The tumor has origin in
multipotent germinal
cells (origin in the 3
embryonic layers)
• Is composed from
multiple normal tissues:
– Sheets of hyaline
cartilage
– Fibrous tissue
– Microcystic spaces
lined by respiratory
epithelium
• The tissues are
disorderly disposed and
normaly, they are not
located in this place
 Mature cystic
ovarian teratoma
• The tumor has origin in the germinal
multipotent cells (with origin in the 3
embryonic layers)
• Histological section through the cyst
wall  numerous mature tissues:
 Sheets of hyaline cartilage
 Fibrous tissue
 Muscular cells
 Neural tissue
 Respiratory epithelium
 Adipose tissue
 Microcystic spaces lined by a
mucosecretory glandular
epithelium
• The tissues are chaotically disposed
and have no relation with the place
where they develop.