Skin Moles

Skin moles exist in a variety of characteristic forms that must be readily recognized to distinguish them from moles cancer. Except for certain types, such as large congenital skin moles and atypical moles, most skin moles have a very low cancerous potential. Skin moles vary in size, shape, surface characteristics, and color. The important fact to remember is that each individual mole tends to remain uniform in color and shape. Although various shades of brown and black may be present in a single mole, the colors are distributed over the surface in a uniform pattern.

Alerting clinical signs of cancerous transformation include:

A

Asymmetry in shape

B

Border is irregular

C

Color variation; shades of brown, black, grey, red and white

D

Diameter is usually large, >6 mm

E

Elevation is almost always present

Moles cancer consist of cancerous melanocytes that grow and extend through the epidermis and into the dermis. Such unrestricted growth produces a lesion with a haphazard or disorganized appearance, which varies in shape, color, and surface characteristics. Nevertheless, the characteristics of uniformity cannot always be relied on to differentiate benign from cancerous moles because very early moles cancer may appear quite uniform, having a round or oval shape with a uniform brown color.

Suspicious moles:

Any mole suspected of being cancerous should be biopsied or referred for a second opinion. Suspicious moles should be completely removed by excisional biopsy down to and including subcutaneous tissue.

Pseudomelanoma  (Recurrent previously excised skin moles):

Weeks to months after incomplete removal of a mole, brown macular pigmentation may appear in the scar. Some nevus cells remain with shave excision and partial repigmentation is possible. An unusual microscopic picture resembling moles cancer  (pseudomelanoma) may follow partial removal of skin moles. If the repigmented area is excised, the pathologist should always be notified that the submitted tissue was acquired from a previously treated area. microscopically, the melanocytes appear atypical but are confined to the epidermis, and there is no lateral spread of individual melanocytes.