COMMON PIGMENTED SKIN LESIONS

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study is; firstly, to study the histopathologicalspectrum of the pigmented skin lesions in the community, to signify that not all pigmented skinlesions are malignant melanomas; secondly, to assess the age-wise distribution of the commonpigmented skin lesions; and thirdly, to determine the commonly affected body sites by thesepigmented skin lesions. Study Design: Retrospective/Observational study. Setting: CharsadaTeaching Hospital affiliated with Jinnah Medical College Peshawar. Period: 100 consecutivecases with clinical diagnosis of pigmented skin lesion, starting in the year 2013. Methods: Inthis study, 100 consecutive surgical pathology cases with clinical diagnosis of pigmented skinlesion were retrieved from the archives of Charsada Teaching Hospital affiliated with JinnahMedical College Peshawar. All the specimens were incisional biopsies of skin, fixed in 10%formalin, embedded in paraffin, and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stains. Results: Onanalyzing 100 consecutive pigmented skin lesions (n=100) starting from the year 2013, it wasfound thatthe large majority of these lesions were benign. The most common pigmented skinlesion was melanocytic nevus. Moreover, majority of pigmented skin lesions were seen infemales. Seborrheic keratosis and malignant tumors, like basal cell carcinoma and squamouscell carcinomas, were more commonly seen in males in the 6th and 7th decades of life; whereas,dermatofibroma and post-inflammatory pigmentation were more common in females in the 4thand 5th decades of life. Overall, the pigmented skin lesions were more common in the 3rd, 4th, and5th decades of life with peak in the 4th decade. Skin of face was the most common site affectedby melanocytic nevi and malignant epidermal skin tumors. Conclusions: In conclusion, mostof the pigmented skin lesions are benign, encountered in the 4th decade of life, and commonlyaffect the skin of face. Also, most of the melanocytic nevi are encountered in females, whilemost of the malignant epidermal neoplasms are encountered in males affecting the skin of face.