Does melanocytic mean melanoma?
Does melanocytic mean melanoma?
Background Moles, or melanocytic nevi, are both markers of an increased risk of cutaneous melanoma and direct precursor lesions.
Is melanocytic nevus benign or malignant?
Melanocytic nevi are benign neoplasms or hamartomas composed of melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells that constitutively colonize the epidermis.
What means melanocytic?
(meh-LAN-oh-site) A cell in the skin and eyes that produces and contains the pigment called melanin. Enlarge.
What causes melanocytes to cluster?
The defect is thought to cause a proliferation of melanocytes. This means melanocytes, the cells in the body in charge of normal skin color, are being produced at an extremely fast rate, thus causing the melanocytes to form in clusters instead of spread out, causing abnormal skin pigmentation in some areas of the body.
What does a melanocytic nevus look like?
They typically appear as small brown, tan, or pink spots. You can be born with moles or develop them later. Moles that you’re born with are known as congenital moles.
Are melanocytes precancerous?
Compared with other clinically apparent, benign, but potentially precancerous lesions, melanocytic nevi are unique as they arise relatively early in life.
What is a special site nevus?
Special site nevi or nevi with site-related atypia are terms used to describe melanocytic nevi located in some anatomic regions that, although benign, show unusual or atypical microscopic findings that may lead to diagnostic confusion with melanoma.
What is dysplastic mole?
(dis-PLAS-tik NEE-vus) A specific type of nevus (mole) that looks different from a common mole. Dysplastic nevi are mostly flat and often larger than common moles and have borders that are irregular. A dysplastic nevus can contain different colors, which can range from pink to dark brown.
What color is mole?
A normal mole is usually an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be either flat or raised. It can be round or oval. Moles are generally less than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch) across (about the width of a pencil eraser).
What malignant tumor can develop from melanocytes?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops when melanocytes (the cells that give the skin its tan or brown color) start to grow out of control.
What does a nevus look like?
A common mole (nevus) is a small growth on the skin that is usually pink, tan, or brown and has a distinct edge. A dysplastic nevus is often large and does not have a round or oval shape or a distinct edge. It may have a mixture of pink, tan, or brown shades.
How do I know if my nevus is cancerous?
Use the “ABCDE rule” to look for some of the common signs of melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer:
- Asymmetry. One part of a mole or birthmark doesn’t match the other.
- Border. The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
- Color.
- Diameter.
- Evolving.
