Dubreuil ‘s melanosis
Dubreuil’s melanosis is a single pigmented formation with uneven edges, located on an open area of the skin, characterized as a pre—melanoma disease and related to melanopausal nevi.
The content of the article:
General clinical picture of Dubreuil’s melanosis
The main signs of Dubreuil’s melanosis
Methods of diagnosis of Dubreuil’s melanosis
Treatment of Dubreuil’s melanosis
Dubreuil ‘s melanosis
As is known, the color of the human skin is determined by the content of melanin in the receptor cells of melanin-containing organelles. Most often, a violation of the metabolism of natural melanin leads to the appearance of age spots on the face, the skin of the hands and other exposed areas of the body. It is such neoplasms that affect the skin of a person at any age, being harbingers of Dubreuil melanosis.
General clinical picture of Dubreuil’s melanosis
This skin disease affects its open areas, manifesting itself as a pigment spot three centimeters in size. Its color varies from intense light brown to black. Usually, with Dubreuil melanosis, the area of the pigment spot can increase, localized in the areas of the face, neck and scalp. Most often, this disease develops in elderly women and men. There are several types of this disease:
congenital Dubreuil melanosis associated with an excess of intrauterine pigment compound in skin cells;
acquired melanosis, manifested after birth;
The acquired type of Dubreuil melanosis, in turn, is of two types:
diffuse (develops due to a violation of the biosynthesis process in the human body, which leads to pigmentation of all tissues and organs);
focal (manifested due to the accumulation of a pigment compound in one of the human organs).
Regardless of the type, in the process of its further development, melanosis can turn into malignant melanoma.
The main signs of Dubreuil’s melanosis
For this disease, as mentioned above, the development of a pigment spot with uneven edges is characteristic. This spot has a different color with bluish or gray areas. In some cases, the neoplasm can reach a size of more than 20 centimeters in diameter. At the moment of transition of Dubreuil’s melanosis to melanoma, the pigment spot changes its color, its surface thickens, flakes off, and sometimes ulceration occurs. Currently, experts have not established the cause of melanosis malignancy. Some authors pay special attention to mechanical injuries or exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the affected areas of the skin. During the manifestation of melanosis of the skin, a person often experiences weakness, mild fatigue, dizziness, loss of appetite and hypotension.
Methods of diagnosis of Dubreuil’s melanosis
Given that Dubreuil’s melanosis can turn into melanoma, specialists do not use a biopsy during diagnosis, as this can lead to the growth and development of a tumor. Doctors use the cytological method of research. A smear is taken from the patient-an imprint from the surface of the pigment spot. The development of melanoma — skin cancer — is diagnosed by the thickness of the tumor. The thicker the melanoma, the more unfavorable the prognosis. Therefore, early diagnosis and timely treatment are very important.
Treatment of Dubreuil’s melanosis
Most often, specialists resort to a radical method of treatment: surgical excision of the affected area of the skin with Dubreuil melanosis, since this nevus is susceptible to malignancy. If Dubreuil’s melanosis is very large and manifests itself on the face, then serious cosmetic and technical difficulties may arise in this case. Therefore, experts recommend that patients, especially in the elderly, immediately seek help at the first signs of this ailment. Otherwise, excision of large nevi ends with plastic surgery at the expense of their own donor flaps. X-ray radiation acting on the affected areas of the skin is also widely used. Despite the fact that the melanous formation is removed mainly surgically, the prognosis is quite favorable. The main thing is that the treatment should begin and be carried out in a timely manner.
