Melanocytic neoplasms with Protein Kinase C fusion genes

In this episode, Dr. Arnaud de la Fouchardiere, from the Universite Claude Bernard in Lyon France, discusses his multinational team’s recent study on the clinical and histologic presentation of 51 cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms with a PKC fusion gene.

Most tumors occurred in young adults (median age, 29.5 years) and some presented in newborns. Histologically, 42 tumors were classified as benign, presenting predominantly as biphasic dermal proliferation with nests of small melanocytes surrounded by fibrosis with haphazardly arranged spindled and dendritic melanocytes, resembling those reported as “combined blue nevi.” Six tumors had sheets of atypical melanocytes infiltrating the dermis and were classified as melanomas. Two of the melanomas displayed loss of BAP1 nuclear expression with one patient developing metastatic disease and another dying of their melanoma.