In an attempt to understand dysplastic moles, it is important to be in a position to answer the question; what is a dysplastic mole? This post is designed to help you achieve this. It also contains information concerning dysplastic mole syndrome, dysplastic nevus mole and mild, moderate and severely dysplastic moles. Read on to be in a position to differentiate these three stages.
Dysplastic moles contain atypical cells. It is important to understand the various aspects concerning them as they could lead to one getting melanoma which is the most severe form of skin cancer. Recognition of abnormal moles early enough could help save one from getting melanoma. It is therefore advisable to carry out self-mole examination once a month. If any changes are noticed, they should be discussed with a dermatologist as soon as one can.
Table of Contents
What Is a Dysplastic Mole?
What is a dysplastic mole? This is a question too common when dealing with moles. A dysplastic mole is an unusual mole that may resemble melanoma. People who have them are at a greater risk of developing melanoma when compared with those who don’t. This risk increases with an increase in the number of dysplastic moles that an individual has. Patients with over ten of them are 12 times more at the risk of getting melanoma when compared to the general public.
Dysplastic moles tend to be most common in melanoma patients. Medical reports have shown that a Caucasian population of about 2 to 8 percent has these moles. Genetics are one risk factor as people who have a family history of melanoma are at a great risk of developing it from the dysplastic moles.
The risk of developing melanoma for people with no family history of it is between 7 to 27 percent. These are risks great enough to warrant regular checkups by a gynecologist as well as monthly self-skin examination. Those with anything suspicious in a mole or those that have a history of melanoma in the family should also wear sun protection all the time.
Dysplastic Mole Syndrome
Dysplastic mole syndrome is a skin disorder. It affects approximately 2 percent of the population. It is characterized by an individual having a
collection of more than 50 moles on their body. Most of these are atypical in nature. They are different in size and color as well. Individual moles tend to be more than 6milimeters large. While some are flat, others will be raised. They will also vary in shape with some being oval as opposed to being round.
Solitary atypical moles are benign individually with a risk of progression that is very low. This is however not the case when a person with dysplastic mole syndrome has multiple atypical moles. These are at a higher risk of developing melanoma especially when they are located on the buttocks, scalp or back of the feet.
The risk of getting melanoma when one has close blood relatives such as siblings, parents and grandparents having been diagnosed with melanoma increases. This combination is usually referred to as familial dysplastic mole syndrome.
Severely Dysplastic Mole
A severely dysplastic mole has conspicuous differences from normal moles. It is large, has a dark pigmentation that may be varied and its borders are ill defined. They are commonly found on the arms, legs and the trunk and least common on the face.
Between mild, moderate and severe dysplastic mole, the severe one has the highest risk of becoming melanoma. Patients with numerous moles of this type tend to have a higher risk of developing melanoma than those who are do not.
When dysplastic moles are diagnosed and confirmed with a biopsy, they are normally not distinguishable from early melanoma. These should be removed immediately through complete excision. A surgical re-excision is recommended after some time.
Mild or Moderately Dysplastic Mole
Moderately dysplastic mole requires a large excision. This is then followed up with regular observations by the dermatologist as well as self-examination. Mild dysplastic moles do not pose a great health risk. They can be kept under observation without being removed. This is more so in cases where they are too many. If they are only a few, they could be surgically removed.
Any individual suffering from a dysplastic mole syndrome should faithfully carry out monthly inspections. They should also have a regular schedule to have them checked by a dermatologist. This way the chances of catching melanoma at an early stage increases and thus lower the risks.
Dysplastic Nevus Mole
Any mole that is larger than normal and is irregular in shape is termed as a dysplastic nevus mole. They also tend to have uneven edges and color that is consists of darker and lighter shades as well as bieing of a different color from other moles on the body.
People with over 50 dysplastic nevus mole are at a high risk of getting melanoma. The genes for formation of the moles are hereditary and are thus passed down from parents to kids. If a mole undergoes any change, it should be checked so as to detect if it has melanoma cells.
Where only a small portion had been removed for the purposes of a biopsy and it is found to be cancerous, a complete excision is done. This involves cutting off the mole and stitching it to stop bleeding.
The chances for survival and elimination of cancerous cells resulting from dysplastic moles increases with early recognition. This limits treatment to excision alone. As severity increases, the possibility for the application of aggressive forms of treatments such as chemotherapy increases. It is therefore important to differentiate between a normal and abnormal mole. Whenever any change regardless of how minor it may seem, is noticed a dermatologist should be informed.
Having dysplastic moles should not cause any panic. One should learn to live with them and know what to watch out for. This way the moles are not likely to interfere with a person’s life. The moles are not contagious and thus friends and loved ones should not be worried of getting close to a person with them.
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