Synonyms
Atypical nevus; Clark nevus; Cytologic atypia; Nevus with architectural disorder
Definition
It is a group of melanocytic lesions having histologic and clinical features intermediate between standard nevi and melanoma. Wallace H. Clark introduced his concept of clinically and histologically atypical nevi under the designation “B-K mole syndrome” in 1978; later, he preferred the term of “dysplastic nevus” (DN) for these melanocytic proliferations. Thomas Fitzpatrick proposed the term “Clark nevus” in Dr. Clark’s honor, a suggestion seconded by others, including Bernard Ackerman.
There is still controversy over the diagnostic criteria and clinical significance of the dysplastic nevus. Some authors have stated that dysplastic nevi are the most common acquired nevi in humans and therefore are not associated with melanoma. However, it seems that only a relatively low percentage of nevi show the features of dysplastic nevi and that they are disproportionately represented in patients...
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References and Further Reading
Arumi-Uria, M., McNutt, N. S., & Finnerty, B. (2003). Grading of Atypia in Nevi: Correlation with melanoma risk. Modern Pathology, 16, 764–771.
Ivan, D., & Prieto, V. G. (2010). Use of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of melanocytic lesions: Applications and pitfalls. Future Oncology, 6, 1163–1175.
NIH. (1992). Diagnosis and treatment of early melanoma. NIH Consensus Statement Online, 10(1), 1–26.
Prieto, V. G., & Shea, C. R. (2008). Use of immunohistochemistry in melanocytic lesions. Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, 35, 1–10.
Shea, C. R., Vollmer, R. T., & Prieto, V. G. (1999). Correlating architectural disorder and cytologic atypia in Clark (dysplastic) melanocytic nevi. Human Pathology, 30, 500–505.
Shors, A. R., Kim, S., White, E., Argenyi, Z., Barnhill, R. L., Duray, P., et al. (2006). Dysplastic naevi with moderate to severe histological dysplasia: A risk factor for melanoma. British Journal of Dermatology, 155, 988–993.
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Prieto, V.G., Ivan, D. (2016). Dysplastic (Clark) Nevus. In: Massi, D. (eds) Dermatopathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30006-1_417
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30006-1_417
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