Moderately Atypical Nevus with Several Focal Atypia- Do I Need Surgery?

asked 5 months ago by pointdexter in Flushing, NY
Latest answer by Gary Goldenberg, MD
Question viewed 236 times
Tags: atypia, dangers, hairy nevus

How serious is it? Should i get surgery for it?

7 answers to Moderately Atypical Nevus with Several Focal Atypia- Do I Need Surgery?

Treatment of atypical mole

The description of your mole warrants excision. By the sound of your pathology report, you need a full thickness excision with 3mm margins. That's the standard of care. Call the dermatologist that did the biopsy. If they offer this type of excision, see that office. Otherwise, see a more surgically inclined dermatologist.

Gary Goldenberg, MD
New York Dermatologist

Treatment of Atypical Moles (Nevi)

For all moles that have moderate to severe atypia I recommend an excision with sutures to achieve clear margins. I also recommend that patients with a history of atypical moles do full body skin examinations every six months at a minimum. A board-certified dermatologist will best be able to take care of the excision (surgery) and perform your twice yearly full body skin examinations. The good news is that once this mole is properly excised with clear margins, you do not need to... more

Channing R. Barnett, MD
New York Dermatologist

Treatment of atypical nevi

If your mole is moderately atypical I would recommend elliptical excision with clear margins. Dysplastic or atypical nevi are controversial in the sense that it is not possible to predict whether a certain atypical mole will progress to melanoma so they are not necessarily pre-cancerous. However they are in a spectrum of change between a regular mole and melanoma. No one would want to leave a moderately or severely atypical mole on their body and take the risk of it turning... more

Narin (Joe) Apisarnthanarax, MD
Houston Dermatologist

Excisions are necessary for atypical moles

In my office, I will do an excision with suture closure to get clear margins for all moles that have moderate to severe atypia. We also follow all of our "atypical mole" patients by doing full skin examinations every six months. I recommend you see a board certified dermatologist for both your surgery options as well as your follow-up examinations twice yearly. As these growths are pre-cancerous, you do not need to worry once it's properly treated.

Mitchell Schwartz, MD
South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

Atypical Nevus

Yes you should have it excised. A nevus with moderate atypia has a higher risk for progressing to malignant melanoma, which is a very serious skin cancer. Make sure that your biopsy was read by a dermatopathologist, not just a general pathologist.

Richard Ort, MD
Lone Tree Dermatologic Surgeon

You should get surgery for it

It is not serious... by that I mean it is not a melanoma or a skin cancer. But, if you don't remove it, it probably has a higher chance than other (non-atypical) moles on your body to turn into a melanoma. So just have it removed, better to be safe.

Anne Marie McNeill, MD
Newport Beach Dermatologist