The Importance of Immunohistochemistry in the Evaluation of Tumor Depth of Primary Cutaneous Melanoma

Primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) is the most aggressive skin malignancy, with an increasing incidence and significant mortality. Tumoral invasion, expressed as Breslow thickness, is routinely assessed on hematoxylin and eosin (HE), although this stain may sometimes underestimate the tumoral depth. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of the immunohistochemical (IHC) markers S-100, SOX10, Melan-A, and HMB-45 with HE for the evaluation of the Breslow thickness and staging of PCM. This retrospective study included 46 cases of PCM diagnosed between 2015 and 2022; for each case, the Breslow thickness using HE, S-100, SOX10, Melan-A, and HMB-45 was measured and the appropriate T category was recorded. The highest values of the Breslow thickness were observed for S-100. However, S-100, SOX10, and Melan-A provided statistically significant higher values of the Breslow thickness compared to HE, but no difference was noted between HMB-45 and HE. S-100 was most frequently involved in increasing the T category (26.1%), the majority of cases being upstaged from T1a to T1b. The IHC markers S-100, SOX10, and Melan-A contributed to better evaluation of the melanoma invasion, especially in thin melanomas, but their impact on staging and consecutive treatment remains to be confirmed by future studies.

Automated summary

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of immunohistochemical markers (S-100, SOX10, Melan-A, HMB-45) with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for evaluating Breslow thickness and staging in primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM). The results showed that S-100, SOX10, and Melan-A significantly increased the Breslow thickness compared to HE staining, while HMB-45 showed no significant difference. S-100 had the greatest impact on T category. In conclusion, these immunohistochemical markers performed well in evaluating melanoma invasion, especially in thin melanomas.