Post Shaven Mole Biosopy: Healing Edges of the Site Are Brown - Should I be Concerned?

asked 10 months ago by Dezdee in Elmhurst, NY
Latest answer by Anindya Lahiri, MBBS
Question viewed 426 times
Tags: benign, biopsy, brown, worried

Recent shave mole biosopy.. with the healing the edges of the site are brown? not the middele, and the pathology test came back saying it was a atypical benign mole. Should I be concerned?

5 answers to Post Shaven Mole Biosopy: Healing Edges of the Site Are Brown - Should I be Concerned?

Removal of 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". For a mildly atypical mole I will observe the area and if any pigmentation remains or recurs in the biopsy site it is excised. Since you may still have some pigment-making cells still present around the previous biopsy site you should have the area re-examined by your dermatologist and consider having the area excised. We also follow all of our... more

Mitchell Schwartz, MD
South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

Shave excision of moles

Shave excision or shaving off a mole is less likely to remove a mole completely compared to a formal surgical excision, as with shave excision the tissue deep within the thickness of skin is not removed. This is the part that quite often will contain the pigment cells. This is likely to be reason you have brown edges to the scar. As long as the histopathology showed the mole to be benign (that is no sign of any cancer) I would not worry.

Anindya Lahiri, MBBS
Birmingham Plastic Surgeon

Shaved moles often leave undesireable scars on the face.

Shaved moles often leave undesireable scars on the face. I would recommend a careful reexcision of the moles with sutures. Ultimately you will get a much better cosmetic result. see photos

Mark Taylor, MD
Salt Lake City Dermatologic Surgeon

What to do about an atypical benign mole remaining after shave biopsy

Moles, particularly ones found to be suspicious need to be excised with approximately 2 mm margin and submitted to a drmatopathologist for an examination. The determination of whether a mole is benign or not is made by looking at all the areas of the mole including the outside edges and the deep portion. Shaving a mole off the surface of the skin is not adequate for either removal or examination. If the deeper or lateral components of the mole were not removed, it may recur. If there... more

Emily Altman, MD
Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon

Ensure Adequate Margins

Hello, when a biopsy is performed pathology can inform the doctor of the type of lesion and give information regarding the margins (whether a rim of adequate normal tissue was removed around the lesion). Different lesions need different amounts of margin to help ensure their removal. Cancerous lesions need the most, while lesions with atypia require adequate margins but usually need less. If your biopsy site has dark edges, it may be part of... more

Timothy J. Germain, MD
Mclean Plastic Surgeon

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