Vessels

1 Morpholgy of vessels

Vessels Dots Melanocytic lesions, Amelanotic melanoma, Psoriasis, Stasis dermatitis

Vessels Clods Basal cell carcinoma (1) Hemangiomas

Vessels Lines, straight

Vessels Lines, looped Seborrhoeic keratoses, SCC, Keratoacanthoma

Vessels Lines, curved Dermal nevi, Congenital nevi,

Vessels Lines, convoluted BCC

Vessels Lines, serpentine Many lesions BCC

Vessels Lines, helical Melanoma

Vessels Lines, coiled SCC in situ (1) (2) Rarely Seborrhoeic keratoses


2 Arrangement of vessels





Arrangement, no specific arrangement

Arrangement, clustered

Arrangement, serpiginious Clear cell acanthoma

Arrangement, radial Sebaceous hyperplasia, Keratoacanthoma

Arrangement, reticular

Arrangement, branched Particularly BCC, Keratoacanthoma (1) Dermal nevi, Rapidly growing tumours

Definition of vessels
straight= no bend
looped= one bend, 180 degrees
curved= one bend, less than 180 degrees
Serpentine= much more than one bend, any degree, not convoluted compactly
Coiled=more than one bend, convoluted compactly
Spiral= more than one bend, not convoluted compactly but convoluted along a central axis



Description of vessels:

1. Monomorphic or polymorphic
Monomorphic= a single type of vessel dominates by far=1 pattern
Polymorphic= more than one type of vessel => 1 pattern (Dot and helical Melanoma)

2. Which type of vessel?

3. Arrangement of vessels?

4. Descriptive modifiers that may be used:
thin-thick (thick=thicker than normal nail fold capillaries)
short-long (long= crossing a significant part of the lesion)
Modifiers should be used rarely and only for obvious abberations from "normal"