Cytomorphology of metastatic dedifferentiated/undifferentiated melanoma to the gallbladder: A case report and review of literature

Abstract

AbstractDedifferentiated/undifferentiated melanoma (DM/UM) is a distinct subtype of malignant melanoma that tends to lose all melanocytic markers of differentiation. DM/UM pose major diagnostic challenges as they could be easily confused with UM sarcoma or carcinoma, thus necessitating the use of molecular studies such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for detecting melanoma‐compatible mutations to confirm such diagnosis. The capability of performing NGS molecular studies on small biopsy material with confirmation of adequacy via rapid on‐site evaluation (ROSE) has tremendous value in diagnosing DM/UM. Herein, we present the first reported case of metastatic DM/UM to the gall bladder arising in a 60‐year‐old female with a prior history of right knee melanoma. We also shed light on the cytomorphology of DM/UM, review the literature on such a challenging entity, and emphasize the crucial role of molecular testing in their diagnosis.