The pale blue slide: avoiding myx-ups and mishaps in cutaneous myxoid tumors

Myxoid or mucinous background change is a common finding in a wide variety of cutaneous tumors and other diseases. Myxoid tumors often have overlapping features and may show significant heterogeneity from area to area within a given specimen and from individual case to case. As prognosis and treatment vary considerably between many of these entities, accurate diagnosis is essential. This article will discuss some of the more pertinent cutaneous myxoid mesenchymal tumors with a focus on key diagnostic features. Entities discussed include superficial angiomyxoma (cutaneous myxoma), superficial acral (digital) fibromyxoma, dermal nerve sheath myxoma (conventional neurothekeoma), myxoid dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, giant cell fibroblastoma, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, and myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma.