Abstract
We examined 1162 HE stained specimens of melanocytic nevi from the entire body. We divided the body into 17 parts ; head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, back, axilla, inguinal area, genital area, upper extremity, palm, dorsal hand, lower extremity, sole, dorsal foot, oral mucosa, and nail bed. First, we classified these melanocytic nevi histopathologically into three groups based on the location of the tumor cells ; junctional, compound and dermal. Then we classified them clinico-pathologically based on the classification advocated by Ackerman AB ; Unna’s, Miescher’s, Spitz’s and Clark’s nevus. The most common types of melanocytic nevus differed in different regions of the body ; (a) on the head and face ; the dermal type of Miescher’s nevus (b) on the neck, trunk, upper and lower extremities ; the dermal type of Unna’s nevus, (b) on the sole and palm—the junctional type of Clark’s nevus. We concluded that the characteristics of the melanocytic nevi on various parts of the body differed.
