Mole (Nevus) [Normal & Typical]
Moles (Nevi)
Normal mole
- These are small, well-defined benign growths: a brown-colored circular lesion.
- It is symmetric in color, has a regular border, an even color, is typically less than 6 mm in diameter, and does not evolve (all of which are the opposite of malignant melanoma).
Atypical moles
- These are less well defined than normal moles and serve as a warning that the patient has the potential to develop melanoma. It is very rare for the mole, itself, to convert to a melanoma (but rather is a harbinger that the patient is more prone to develop melanoma).
- Atypical moles are symmetric in color, have irregular borders (rather than a regular one), color variegation (mixtures of reds, shades of brown, etc…) (rather than even color), but they are still typically less than 6 mm in diameter, and do not typically evolve.
Blue nevus
- Blue nevus is, as its name states, a darkly-blue pigmented mole, a benign growth (despite its worrisome coloration).
Image References
Normal Mole
Atypical Mole.jpg)