The increasing use of shave biopsy for diagnosing invasive melanoma in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in the choice of skin biopsy technique for assessing invasive melanoma in Victoria, and to examine the impact of partial biopsy technique on the accuracy of tumour microstaging. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional review of Victorian Cancer Registry data on invasive melanoma histologically diagnosed in Victoria during 2005, 2010, and 2015. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: 400 patients randomly selected from each of the three years, stratified by final tumour thickness: 200 patients with thin melanoma (< 1.0 mm), 100 each with intermediate (1.0-4.0 mm) and thick melanoma (> 4.0 mm). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Partial and excisional biopsies, as proportions of all skin biopsies; rates of tumour base transection and T-upstaging, and mean tumour thickness underestimation following partial biopsy. RESULTS: 833 excisional and 337 partial diagnostic biopsies were undertaken. The proportion of partial biopsies increased from 20% of patients in 2005 to 36% in 2015 (P < 0.001); the proportion of shave biopsies increased from 9% in 2005 to 20% in 2015 (P < 0.001), with increasing rates among dermatologists and general practitioners. Ninety-four of 175 shave biopsies (54%) transected the tumour base; wide local excision subsequently identified residual melanoma in 65 of these cases (69%). Twenty-one tumours diagnosed by shave biopsy (12%) were T-upstaged. With base-transected shave biopsies, tumour thickness was underestimated by a mean 2.36 mm for thick, 0.48 mm for intermediate, and 0.07 mm for thin melanomas. CONCLUSION: Partial biopsy, particularly shave biopsy, was increasingly used for diagnosing invasive melanoma between 2005 and 2015. Shave biopsy has a high rate of base transection, reducing the accuracy of tumour staging, which is crucial for planning appropriate therapy, including definitive surgery and adjuvant therapy.

Improving diagnostic accuracy for suspicious melanocytic skin lesions: New Australian melanoma clinical practice guidelines stress the importance of clinician/pathologist communication.

BACKGROUND: Incorrect or delayed diagnosis of melanoma may lead to inappropriate treatment, poor clinical outcomes, increased cost and medicolegal consequences. The provision of pertinent clinical information is essential for accurate pathological diagnosis of cutaneous melanocytic tumours. Failure to provide this information may contribute to poor outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to highlight important clinical information that clinicians can provide to pathologists to facilitate accurate diagnosis of melanocytic tumours. DISCUSSION: Pertinent clinical information includes patient age, sex, tumour site, specimen orientation (if appropriate), history of the lesion, presence of any clinically or dermoscopically suspicious areas within the lesion (including apparent regression), access to any relevant clinical and/or dermoscopic photographs and prior pathology reports, melanoma history and risk factors, and history of concurrent or recent pregnancy. If the clinical features are not concordant with the pathology findings, the clinician and pathologist should discuss the case to identify the reason for incongruence.

Motor neuron disease and acquired axonal neuropathy association in HIV infection: case report and update.

BACKGROUND: A possible viral etiology has been documented in the genesis of motor neuron disorders and acquired peripheral neuropathies, mainly due to the vulnerability of peripheral nerves and the anterior horn to certain viruses. In recent years, several reports show association of HIV infection with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Syndrome, Motor Neuron Diseases and peripheral neuropathies. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of an association between Motor Neuron Disease and Acquired Axonal neuropathy in HIV infection, and describe the findings of neurological examination, cerebrospinal fluid, neuroimaging and electrophysiology. METHODS: The patient underwent neurological examination. General medical examinations were performed, including, specific neuromuscular tests, analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, muscle biopsy and imaging studies. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The initial clinical presentation of our case was marked by cramps and fasciculations with posterior distal paresis and atrophy in the left arm. We found electromyography tracings with deficits in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Dysphagia and release of primitive reflexes were also identified. At the same time, the patient was informed to be HIV positive with high viral load. He received antiretroviral therapy, with load control but with no clinical remission. CONCLUSION: Motor Neuron disorders and peripheral neuropathy may occur in association with HIV infection. However, a causal relationship remains uncertain. It is noteworthy that the antiretroviral regimen may be implicated in some cases.