The Clark's level of melanoma invasion that specifically corresponds to involvement of the papillary dermis (but not filling or expanding it) is:

• A Clark Level I
• B Clark Level III
• C Clark Level II ✓
• D Clark Level IV

Explanation

Clark's levels describe the anatomical depth of melanoma invasion: Level I — confined to epidermis (in-situ); Level II — invasion into papillary dermis; Level III — tumour fills and expands papillary dermis reaching the reticular dermis interface; Level IV — invasion into reticular dermis; Level V — invasion into subcutaneous fat. Modern AJCC staging primarily uses Breslow thickness (mm) as the prognostically superior measure, but Clark's levels remain part of the T1a/T1b categorisation (T1b: Clark IV/V or mitotic rate ≥1/mm²).

Reference: Neena Khanna Illustrated Synopsis of Dermatology & STD, 6th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.