Giant melanosomes in melanocytes

What it means

The presence of large spherical melanosomes (1 to 6 micrometer in diameter) in the cytoplasm of melanocytes.

Giant melanosomes can be seen in cafe-au-lait spots and other melanocytic disorders. Giant melanosome and giant melanosome are synonymous. Macromelanosomes can be detected by electron microscopy of the skin.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Macromelanosomes