melanosis

Definition: Deposition of melanin or melanic pigment in tissues. Classically, melanosis is a form of hyperpigmentation of tisue, associated with deposition of melanin and presence of melanophages.

However, melanosis coli is a disorder of pigmentation of the wall of the colon, often identified at the time of colonoscopy. The brown pigment is lipofuscin in macrophages, not melanin. For this reason, it sould be called " pseudomelanosis coli ".

Images

 melanosis , endocervix , uterus

• https://twitter.com/dozing_dog/status/747667815117783041

Localization

 endocervical melanosis

 digestive melanosis

• melanosis coli
• intestinal melanosis / melanosis jejuni

 peritoneal melanosis
 ocular primary acquired melanosis

Etiology - Examples

 primary acquired melanosis (PAM)

See also

 tissular anomalies

• tissular pigmentation