Refining the application of PRAME—a useful marker in high CSD and acral melanoma subtypes

Pathologic discordance affecting patient management may approach 20% in melanocytic cases following specialist review. The diagnostic utility of PRAME has been highlighted in several studies but interpretative challenges exist including its use in severely dysplastic compound nevi showing progression to melanoma in situ, nevoid melanoma, and coexisting nevi with melanoma. We examine the PRAME status of a broad spectrum of melanocytic lesions including challenging, dysplastic nevi with severe atypia from a large Irish patient cohort. Retrospective review of the dermatopathology database was conducted to evaluate the PRAME staining characteristics of two hundred and twenty-one melanocytic lesions using a commercially available PRAME antibody (EPR20330). The proportion of nuclear labeling and intensity of staining was recorded. The sensitivity and specificity of PRAME for in situ and malignant melanocytic lesions was 77% and 100%, respectively. Virtually all of our melanoma in situ from high-cumulative sun damaged (CSD) skin (22/23) and all acral lentiginous melanoma (5/5) were PRAME positive while 80% (8/10) of our lentigo maligna melanoma showed diffuse expression. None of our benign subgroup showed diffuse immunoexpression (0/82), including thirty-seven moderate or severely dysplastic nevi. In all cases of melanoma in situ arising in association with a dysplastic compound nevus (0/10), no immunoexpression was observed in the nevic component while in five cases of melanoma in situ with coexistent, intradermal nevus immunostaining was confined to the in situ component. A total of 100% (2/2) of desmoplastic melanomas and 50% (4/8) of nodular melanomas were PRAME positive. PRAME is a sensitive and highly specific immunostain in the diagnosis of in situ and invasive melanoma and we emphasize its application in the evaluation of high CSD and acral melanoma subtypes as well as in challenging threshold cases.