Melanocytic nevus historical perspective
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: : Qurrat-ul-ain Abid, M.D.[2], Martin I. Newman, M.D., FACS, Cleveland Clinic Florida, [3]; Michel C. Samson, M.D., FRCSC, FACS [4]
Overview
At one time in the 1950s and 60s, (and, to a lesser extent, currently) a mole was known as a “beauty mark” when it appeared in certain spots on a woman’s face. Examples include Marilyn Monroe, model Cindy Crawford, and singer Madonna. Madonna's facial mole -- below her right nostril -- has been surgically removed.
Historical Perspective
- Dysplastic nevi were first reported in 1978 by Clark and colleagues(1) and shortly thereafter by Lynch and colleagues(2, 3) as histologically defined lesions in melanoma-prone families, there has been acrimonious debate about the definition, classification, and biological importance of these lesions. The initial names used by Clark and colleagues were BK moles (and BK mole syndrome), named after two of the first melanoma-prone families seen with these lesions, and familial atypical multiple moles and melanoma syndrome (FAMMM) by Lynch and colleagues(1-4). Subsequently, the term ‘dysplastic nevus’ (and dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS)) was proposed since these benign melanocytic nevi are characterized by architectural disorder and cytologic atypia, similar to dysplastic lesions in other organs, such as the cervix or esophagus(4-6).