Widespread eruptive dermal and atypical melanocytic nevi in association with chronic myelocytic leukemia: case report and review of the literature.

Abstract

Eruptive nevi have been associated with local skin trauma and immunosuppression, and atypical eruptive nevi preceding melanoma have been reported in immunocompromised transplant patients. We describe a 25-year-old man with widespread eruptive atypical and dermal melanocytic nevi in association with chronic myelocytic leukemia. Our patient's disease differs from earlier reports of eruptive nevi because his nevi appeared before induction chemotherapy. Eruptive nevi may have been a prodrome to leukemia in this patient. His nevi were histologically similar to eruptive atypical nevi observed in AIDS patients and may imply a link between systemic immunosuppression and melanocyte proliferation. We suggest that patients in whom eruptive nevi develop in association with immunosuppression should be carefully observed for the development of melanoma skin cancer.