Does a benign nevi need to have clear margins when excised?

Question

I had a mole removed and was told it was benign but the margins were not clear. They want to do another excision to completely remove it. Is this necessary?I have never had a skin cancer or any dysplastic nevi. I am a 58y/o female. The mole was stretched when I was pregnant 30 yrs ago. The borders have been irregular since that time. To me it did not look changed. The PA was concerned about the irregular borders and also thought it looked like it had color variations. This seems like overkill to me.

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and for sharing your experience.  If the mole has been removed and deemed benign there is no reason to have additional margins taken unless the physician is concerned about a sampling error - essentially the portion removed and analyzed may not have been cancerous, but perhaps a portion of what remains is.  Talk to your doctor and explain your concerns, they can offer you a better recommendation.

Seth Kates, MD · Answer

Hi,You are asking a little bit of a complicated question that you wont get 100% agreement on, but....Most current literature shows that if you have a benign nevus or even one that is mildly or moderately atypical (dysplastic) where the majority of it has been biopsied and there are positive margins that there is no benefit in excising it to get clear margins.  In my practice if I biopsy a worrisome mole and it is moderately atypical and extends to the margins, I do not excise the area to get clear margins.  Also, generally excising a mole leaves an undesirable scar.  Good luck with your decision.

Does a benign nevi need to have clear margins when excised?

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Does a benign nevi need to have clear margins when excised?

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Everything you need to know about Mole Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.