Raining Down


A descriptive term for the ‘dropping’ of fascicles of uniform, pale spindled nevus cells from an irregularly hyperplastic epidermis into the reticular dermis among collagen bundles. As the fascicles drop deeper into the dermis they become smaller (maturation). Raining down is a feature of Spitz nevus, and a soft criterion of benignancy. In addition, the papillary dermis is widened, oedematous and replete with ectatic vessels