Dysplastic Nevus: 5-Minute Pathology Pearls 

It’s a complicated topic. I give a brief summary in my #dermpath Survival Guide book: bit.ly/2Te2haB. But if you want more in-depth knowledge I would recommend reading the various papers on this topic in the literature.

I am in the same position ...how melanoma in situ is treated ...what is the adequate surgical margins

I don’t have a specific video focusing on that comparison but these two videos will help. nevus video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jKZDqJez9jw.html melanoma video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8N0IZZpF8ts.html

@@JMGardnerMD can u send any chart or way for easy memorization of eczaema, psoriasis, E multiforme, lichen planus, etc...

I have a lot of that in my #dermpath Survival Guide book: bit.ly/2Te2haB ‬

For most of my time in practice, the dermatologists I worked with routinely performed complete excision of moderate dysplastic nevus. There is growing evidence that may not be necessary but it’s still an area that has a lot of debate and controversy. Some of the dermatologists I’ve worked with recently and now willing to leave moderate dysplastic nevus and watch/wait, but I also know some very good dermatologists who still think it is a good idea to surgical excise them with negative margins to be on the safe side. I cannot speak for your dermatologist personally of course but what you are describing sounds similar to what I have seen other good dermatologists do in similar situations. Regardless, I am sorry for the scarring and any discomfort you are going through. I know scars can be a very frustrating issue for many patients. A lot of dermatologists I work with recommend using silicone scar tape or gel to help scars heal with better cosmetic results. They also recommend sun avoidance and sunscreen if the scar is exposed to sun. I’m not a dermatologist so not an expert at cosmetics but that is what I’ve heard from some of my very smart and compassionate dermatologist colleagues over the years. My best wishes for health, healing and peace for you!

Does the pathology report say dysplastic/dysplasia/atypia/atypical nevus? Or just compound nevus (or compound melanocytic nevus)? I can’t give you advice since you aren’t my patient and I’m not your doctor but here is some general info. Regular compound nevi are totally benign and very common. I see them in people your age every day. And they are usually not excised (surgically removed) after biopsy. Dysplastic compound nevus is a complicated and controversial subject even in my subspecialized field. But the simplest explanation is that they are nevi that look abnormal under the microscope. I personally think that the vast majority of them are just funny looking benign nevi with little to no risk of turning malignant. But if they have moderate or severe atypia, most dermatologists I know like to surgically remove them (if only mild atypia, they usually leave them alone and don’t do more surgery after biopsy). But this varies among different dermatologists and experts have different beliefs about this. So in summary it’s important to find out exactly what your pathology report says and it’s also important to discuss all of this with your dermatologist. Dermatologists are very familiar with different types of nevus and how to handle them, but other types of doctors are often (not always) unfamiliar with the complexities around these different nevi. For this reason, I choose to only see MD/DO dermatologists for skin issues affecting me or my family. Please discuss all of this with your doctor so you can make healthcare decision that’s right for you. Best wishes for good health.

Jerad Gardner, MD My report says its a ‘Compound Nevus with Moderate Atypia’ - thank you for the long message, greatly appreciate your words!

See these for more explanation: Video (Melanoma Basics - short): kikoxp.com/posts/6063 Dysplastic nevus etc kikoxp.com/posts/6963 Nevus 101 video kikoxp.com/posts/3740 Video (Melanoma 101): kikoxp.com/posts/3764

I don’t understand this question