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Pathology report and next steps
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Pathology report and next steps

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Pathology report and next steps

  • Post
    • April 24, 2018 at 1:13 am
    Texasgal
    Participant

      Hi I just got my pathology report and I need help understanding what it means. 

      Compound melanocytic Nevis, dysplastic type, severe

      comment: re-excision is recommended. Deep and lateral margins are involved. 

      description: enlarged melanocytes are arranged as solitary units and as nests at the dermo-epidermal junction, as occasional solitary units above it, and within the papillary dermis as nests, cords and strands in association with fibroblasts, telangiectases and an inflammatory cell infiltrate with lymphocytes, histiocytes, and melanophages.

      I am scheduled to get a wide excision. This was a shave biopsy which I now know is not reccomended in here but unfortunately I did not have the expertise of the board before I went into the dermatologist. 

      So the next level would be melanoma in Situ correct? What happens if the wise excision doesn’t get it all? Do you have to get another one? Just pretty freaked out because they called at 5 and in the shock of it all I didn’t get all my questions answered. Of course when I composed myself they were closed and not answering the phones. 

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        • April 26, 2018 at 1:24 pm
        Janner
        Participant

          Did you get your questions answered?  Most times, the wide excision gets enough.  Rarely you will have to go back and get more.  It can happen.  Shave biopsies only matter when something is melanoma.

          • April 28, 2018 at 2:06 am
          majahops
          Participant

            I hate these lesions. They are very frustrating. Probably not melanoma, but definely request that they have it sent to a second dermatopathologist for an independent evaluation. Pathologists are human beings, and this is an area of subjective interpretation. It shouldn't offend them if you ask them to do this. Wide excision will most likely get it all, wouldn't worry about that specific point. 

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