Of 57 reviewed cases of malignant melanoma in teenagers, 51 had a mini
mum follow-up of 5 years. The histological and some clinical features
of the 51 cases were compared for diagnostic and prognostic significan
ce with those of 19 Spitz naevi and 10 other benign naevi using the SP
SS-X computer program. The overall crude survival was 71% (males 64%,
females 81%). Five patients with regional metastases survived more tha
n 5 years, three of these more than 10 years. The main statistically s
ignificant features associated with a poor prognosis were Breslow thic
kness, diameter of ulcer, abnormal mitoses, pushing dermal borders and
marginal (deep) mitoses. In comparison with Spitz naevi, features fav
ouring malignancy were Breslow thickness, fine dusty cytoplasmic melan
in pigment, marginal or abnormal mitoses, epithelioid intra-epidermal
melanocytes below parakeratosis, dermal nests larger than junctional n
ests and the mitotic rate in the papillary dermis. Features favouring
a benign lesion were diffuse maturation, spindle cells, spindle nuclei
and Kamino bodies, especially if numerous or clustered. In comparison
with the atypical benign naevi, significant features favouring malign
ancy were marginal or abnormal mitoses, single cell epidermal invasion
below parakeratosis, large nuclei and irregular nuclei.