Journal of

Background and Aim: Consumption of the epidermis (COE) is defined as thinning of the epidermis with attenuation of the basal and suprabasal layers and loss of rete ridges in areas of direct contact with malignant melanocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of COE as an additional diagnostic criterion for malignant melanoma and to evaluate its relationship to clinicopathological findings.

Methodes: The age, gender, localization of the lesion and the histopathological parameters such as tumor type, Breslow thickness, ulceration, and Clark's level were recoeded in 90 malignant melanoma cases.

Results: In contrast to other studies, we found that COE was more common in tumors with an acral localization and in the acral lentiginous melanoma.

Conclusion: Although COE can be used as a pathological criterion in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma, but no correlation no of COE with ulceration and other prognostic factors were found.