What's new in pediatric melanoma and Spitz tumors? Pretty much everything

Lay Summary Pathologists sometimes have great difficulty in determining whether a mole biopsied from the skin of a child is benign or malignant. New molecular technologies have helped pathologists to identify pediatric melanomas, but there are still some atypical moles that cannot be definitively classified as benign or malignant. With further research, it is hoped that the number of these atypical tumors can be decreased and that the treatment for all children with moles and melanoma can be improved. Molecular genetic techniques have broadened our understanding of the diagnostic classification of pediatric melanoma and atypical melanocytic proliferations such as Spitz tumors. These techniques should be incorporated into standard approaches to diagnosing and classifying atypical or malignant pediatric melanocytic lesions.