Assessment of melanoma risk in acquired melanocytic nevi using digital dermoscopic and 3- point checklist score

Melanocytic nevi are benign melanocyte proliferations. They are well demarcated macula or papilla that may have the same color with the skin or may have reddish-brown, brown, or black color. Melanocytic nevi may be congenital or acquired. In white race, almost every individual have approximately 20 nevi on average (1). In a typical life cycle melanocytic nevi develop after infancy, reach a peak number in the second and third decades of life, and disappear in the seventh to ninth decades of life. In individuals with advanced age, these lesions are rare and should raise a suspicion (2,3). Even if completely ordinary, an increased number of nevi is associated with an increased risk of melanoma. Of all melanomas, nearly 25% develop on a background of melanocytic nevi. However, it is impossible to foretell which nevi will pose an increased risk and removal of all melanocytic nevi is unfeasible (1-4). Dermoscopy and histological examination form the basis of the diagnosis and follow up of melanocytic nevi. A number of different computer software have been developed to be used in combination with digital dermoscopy to acquire, interpret, and store clinical and dermoscopic images. In a patient with multiple atypical nevi, it may not be possible to completely rule out a suspicious melanoma based on clinical or dermoscopic examination, despite a low level of clinical suspicion. In such cases, rather than relying on the physician’s memory or clinical photographs, which are frequently difficult to use or retrieve, it may be more plausible to use serial dermoscopic images, since they allow comparison, calculation of dermoscopic scores, and effectively document the alterations (3,5,6). In this study, ABSTRACT