Nevus (or mole) is a form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation. If it is present at birth, it is called congenital nevus. Before adolescence, nevi are regularly distributed throughout the body, with very few Large nevi (> 5 mm) prevailing on the trunk (due to brutal sun exposure) while those on the face and limbs, chronically exposed to moderate...

Background: Verrucous epidermal nevi (VEN) are benign congenital epidermal hyperplasia and they constitute the most frequent form of epidermal nevi. Verrucous epidermal nevi lesions typically occur on the trunk or extremities but may also occur on the face and neck. The lesions may vary from skin colored to brown. No ideal treatment is yet available.

IMPORTANCE Controversy exists regarding strategies for diagnosis and management of Spitz nevi, a type of melanocytic neoplasm that most often develops in children. OBJECTIVE To determine the beliefs, behaviors, and experiences of pediatric dermatologists with regard to Spitz nevi. DESIGN Anonymous web-based survey. SETTING Private and academic dermatology practices. PARTICIPANTS Respond...

DNA methylation, an epigenetic alteration typically occurring early in cancer development, could aid in the molecular diagnosis of melanoma. We determined technical feasibility for high-throughput DNA-methylation array-based profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues for selection of candidate DNA-methylation differences between melanomas and nevi. Promoter methylation was evaluat...

The histopathological diagnosis of melanoma can be challenging. No currently used molecular markers accurately distinguish between nevus and melanoma. Recent transcriptome analyses have shown the differential expression of several genes in melanoma progression. Here, we describe a multi-marker diagnostic assay using 5 markers (ARPC2, FN1, RGS1, SPP1, and WNT2) overexpressed in melanomas. Immuno...

Many uncertainties surround the definition, frequency, and significance of dysplastic nevi in children. Consequently the management of dysplastic nevi in the pediatric population has been largely derived from the studies of adults. Biopsies are usually performed on this young age group because of lesion change or abnormal appearance. One might therefore assume that the frequency of histological...

OBJECTIVE To assess the outcome on management recommendations of a comparative approach vs a morphologic approach in evaluating dermoscopic images of lesions from a series of patients with multiple nevi. DESIGN In a 2-step study, 6 experienced dermoscopists were asked to provide management recommendations (excision or follow-up) for a series of lesions from patients with multiple nevi based o...

BACKGROUND Melanocytic nevi are frequently found on acral volar skin. Differentiation between nevi and melanoma is essential and sometimes difficult, although dermoscopy has enabled a more specific diagnosis of pigmented lesions. Dermoscopic patterns of lesions on acral volar skin have mostly been described in European and Asian populations. The Latin American population is heterogeneous, and p...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a promising novel technology for non-invasive early diagnostics of cutaneous melanoma. However, the possibility to detect melanocytic atypia in nevi by means of in vivo RCM remains unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of in vivo RCM features of melanocytic atypia for the diagnosis of melanocytic ...

Dysplastic nevi are described as being on a continuum between common acquired nevi and melanoma because they are morphologically and biologically intermediate between these 2 entities. Since initially being reported as histologic lesions observed in melanoma-prone families, there has been considerable debate about the definition of dysplastic nevi, the histologic and clinical criteria used to d...