page_title: Nevus
section_title: Diagnosis
hierarchical_section_title: Nevus / Diagnosis
caption_attribution_description: English: Pie chart of various differential diagnoses of pigmented skin lesions, by relative incidence for those undergoing biopsy, and malignancy potential, from a United States population. The actual relative incidence of benign diagnoses is presumed to be substantially under-represented, since such diagnoses are often achieved without performing biopsy.
context_page_description: Nevus is a nonspecific medical term for a visible, circumscribed, chronic lesion of the skin or mucosa. The term originates from nævus, which is Latin for "birthmark"; however, a nevus can be either congenital or acquired. Common terms, including mole, birthmark, and beauty mark, are used to describe nevi, but these terms do not distinguish specific types of nevi from one another.
context_section_description: Nevi are typically diagnosed clinically with the naked eye or using dermatoscopy. More advanced imaging tests are available for distinguishing melanocytic nevi from melanoma, including computerized dermoscopy and image analysis. The management of nevi depends on the type of nevus and the degree of diagnostic uncertainty. Some nevi are known to be benign, and may simply be monitored over time. Others may warrant more thorough examination and biopsy for histopathological examination (looking at a sample of skin under a microscope to detect unique cellular features). For example, a clinician may want to determine whether a pigmented nevus is a type of melanocytic nevus, dysplastic nevus, or melanoma as some of these skin lesions pose a risk for malignancy. The ABCDE criteria (asymmetry, border irregularity, color variegation, diameter > 6 mm, and evolution) are often used to distinguish nevi from melanomas in adults, while modified criteria (amelanosis, bleeding or bumps, uniform color, small diameter or de novo, and evolution) can be used when evaluating suspicious lesions in children.  In addition to histopathological examination, some lesions may also warrant additional tests to aid in diagnosis, including special stains, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. Typically, the nevi that exist since childhood are harmless.
caption: Various differential diagnoses of pigmented skin lesions, by relative rates for biopsied lesions, and malignancy potential, including "nevus" at left and top.
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