Atypical Mole

Excerpt

Atypical moles, or dysplastic nevi, are acquired melanocytic neoplasms with disordered architecture and atypia of melanocytes. Multiple synonyms for atypical moles; they are also known as Clark nevi, B-K moles, or dysplastic nevi, although strictly speaking, the term dysplastic nevus refers only to a specific microscopic appearance, of which, only a minority of atypical moles fulfill the criteria. Clinically, dysplastic nevi resemble melanoma since they often share ABCDE morphological melanoma features.

Diagnosis of an atypical mole is generally clinical, based upon the presence of 3 or more of the following features: diameter larger than 5 mm, poorly defined borders, irregular margins, and color variation of the lesion. Lesions of this phenotype are often biopsied by healthcare providers to exclude melanoma, since distinction based on macroscopic examination only may be difficult. Patients with multiple atypical moles are at increased risk of developing melanoma, but there is a low rate of malignant transformation in individual atypical nevi themselves.