Dermoscopy of Melanocytic Neoplasms: Title and subTitle BreakSubpatterns of Dysplastic/Atypical Nevi

THE LESIONS shown are from the left anterior thigh of a 51-year-old white man (Figure 1), right lower abdomen of a 42-year-old white man (Figure 2), and the left upper back of a 68-year-old white man (Figure 3) (size bar, 5 mm). All 3 of these lesions reveal a relatively similar pattern. The edges have brown dots; centrally, the lesions have an opalescent quality with shades of blue and red. These lesions were histopathologically classified as "dysplastic" (atypical) nevi with severe (Figure 1), mild (Figure 2), and moderate (Figure 3) cytologic atypia. This pattern is relatively uncommon compared with other "dysplastic" nevus subtypes and likely represents a different genetic defect or different environmental influences during lesion development.

Editor's Note: This exercise is to group lesions with similar dermoscopic patterns—not pathologic criteria. The ultimate benign or malignant behavior is not the focus of this section. The skINsight section is being introduced to provide a forum for the presentation dermatologic images. The current effort is to foster the recognition of patterns in dermatologic disease processes that may enhance both diagnostic and research capabilities. Initially, the focus will be on dermoscopic images as this is a particularly rich source of dermatologic patterns. Theoretically, these patterns reflect the interaction of specific gene defects with local environmental factors.